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Heathrow remains ‘fragile’ and passenger cap ‘a necessity’

Heathrow’s decision to extend its limit on passenger numbers to the end of the summer season drew an angry industry response but aviation sources described the announcement this week as “a necessity” with the airport “still fragile”.

One source warned it would not take much “to cause widespread disruption”, with a shortage of ground-handling staff still the major problem.

Heathrow now plans to maintain a 100,000-passengers-a-day limit to October 29 “after consultation with airlines”.

The cap, first imposed in July, was initially intended to run until September 11.

Heathrow insisted this week that “passenger journeys have improved” and reported “fewer last-minute cancellations, better punctuality and shorter wait times for bags” since the cap was introduced.

However, Business Travel Association chief executive Clive Wratten slammed the decision to extend the limit.

Wratten has written an open letter to Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye urging him to reconsider the 100,000-passenger cap extension and to “incrementally increase” the number of passengers allowed to pass through the airport week-on-week.

The letter further calls for transparency with Travel Management Companies to help with-long term planning, and offers a roundtable between Heathrow, airlines and corporate buyers.

Wratten wrote: “Heathrow had the enviable position of being the UK’s leading airport, that is being eroded daily. 

“We as a sector want to do everything we can, to create a sustainable and manageable pipeline of corporate traffic through your airport.”

The extended cap will have a “devastating impact” on business travellers, with September being a busy month after the summer holidays.

The BTA said that Heathrow has not yet responded to the open letter.

A leading airline source told Travel Weekly the extension “was no surprise” but said: “It’s disappointing there is no progress. It’s difficult to understand why there is no change up to October 29.

“It would be reasonable to expect progress and airlines need to see evidence of it.”

Yet the source also noted: “Heathrow’s resilience is still fragile. The cap has been exceeded on several days. It wouldn’t take a lot to cause widespread disruption.”

An airports source noted there have been “no reports of disruption” since the start of the school holidays in England and Wales and insisted: “The reason there has not been disruption is the cap. Unfortunately, it’s a necessity.

“It’s something Heathrow wants to lift as soon as possible, but they are still worried about the ground handlers.”

A second source insisted: “Heathrow wants to remove the cap, but it needs to be confident the whole airport has adequate resource. The system needs to be stable, and ground handling doesn’t have stability.”

Heathrow said some airline ground handlers “remain a core constraint on capacity” and announced a review of ground-handling last week.

The airport has until now been reviewing day-to-day arrangements through the summer peak.

This latest review will look “at what is needed in the coming months and years”, according to a source, who said: “We need to put long-term stability in the system, because the system was upended by the pandemic.”

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