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Heathrow prepared for Easter rush after ‘smooth’ February half term

Heathrow is prepared for the Easter holiday period after claiming a “smooth” handling of passengers over February half term.

The prediction came as the London hub reported that overall passenger satisfaction was close to pre-pandemic levels last month.

The airport handled 5.2 million passengers last month, up by 81% over February 2022 when Covid travel curbs were still in place.

February 26 was the busiest single day in Terminal 5 since pre-pandemic Christmas 2019 with more than 94,000 passengers.

Heathrow described the February half term getaway as being  “successfully managed” with the top holiday destinations being Dubai, New York and Madrid.

Reviewing the month, the airport said: “Departures’ punctuality was the most consistent it has been in the last 12 months and over 98% of passengers were through security in under 10 minutes for the second month in a row.

“With restrictions lifting, the East Asian market is growing fast; February saw eight times as many passengers as Feb-22 in that region.”

Outgoing chief executive John Holland-Kaye said: “The February half term went very smoothly, thanks to a great plan and teamwork across the airport.  

“This should give everyone confidence that we are prepared for a successful Easter getaway.”

 

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