Previously, the daily cap on passengers traveling through the airport – set at 100,000 – was due to expire on 11 September. The airport said Monday that without a cap, it would not be able to safely and reliably operate its flight schedule. Airline travelers across the UK have faced months of chaos, with flights grounded and axed, coupled with long waits at check-in, security and baggage claim. The main reason for the problems was the struggle to recruit new staff. Heathrow claims that since the limits were introduced in July, there have been fewer last-minute cancellations, more punctual flights and shorter waiting times for luggage. But airlines accuse the airport – one of the world’s busiest – of not preparing for the recovery in passenger traffic after the pandemic. Some airlines could see the cap lifted earlier than October, Heathrow said in a statement, if “improved resource levels are evident and the airport continues to see continued operational improvements”. However, he pointed to the lack of ground handling crews as a key problem in resuming normal services. These staffing issues remain “a key constraint on airport capacity”. “Our main concern is to ensure that we provide our passengers with a reliable service when they travel,” said Heathrow’s chief commercial officer, Ross Baker. “That’s why in July we introduced temporary capacity limits, which have already improved travel during the summer break.” “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 provide the service our passengers deserve,” he added. Last week, Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye said the airport was beginning to recover from the travel chaos of recent months. Thousands of jobs were lost in the airline industry during the pandemic when travel restrictions grounded most flights – and now there is a race to hire new workers to accommodate the resurgence of holidaymakers. Training those staff and getting the necessary security clearance was also a lengthy process, airport bosses said. Heathrow is among the hardest hit. In a briefing on Thursday, Mr Holland-Kaye said: “Passengers are seeing better, more reliable journeys since the introduction of the demand cap.”
