Heathrow will continue to limit the number of passengers departing from the airport until October 29.
The reason given is that the customer experience has improved since the introduction of the cap in July, with “fewer last-minute cancellations, better punctuality and shorter wait times for bags”.
The capacity limit is currently set at 100,000 departing passengers per day and was initially imposed until September 11.
The airport will regularly review the cap, with the option to lift it earlier than anticipated if there is a “sustained picture of better resilience and a material increase in resourcing levels”.
Last month Heathrow blamed disruption on a lack of airline baggage handlers, and launched a review of ground handling last week. It plans to work with airlines and ground handlers to “unlock more capacity” and meet passenger demand in the coming months and years.
Heathrow chief commercial officer Ross Baker said:
“Our primary concern is ensuring we give our passengers a reliable service when they travel. That’s why we introduced temporary capacity limits in July which have already improved journeys during the summer getaway.
“We want to remove the cap as soon as possible, but we can only do so when we are confident that everyone operating at the airport has the resources to deliver the service our passengers deserve.”
Amsterdam Schiphol airport recently extended its cap on travellers departing from the airport for the months of September and October, and has also introduced a a scheme to compensate passengers who have missed a flight as a result of long queues at security control.
Schiphol to compensate passengers who missed flights due to queues
