Heathrow Airport operating at a fifth of normal levels
The boss of the UK’s largest airport has said that Heathrow is operating at 15 to 20 per cent of its normal levels for this time of the year.
Speaking at today’s World Aviation festival, which is being held virtually, John Holland-Kaye reassured listeners that demand would return despite the current downturn in traffic.
He said that the airport would look to change its business model according to what the future of the industry looked like.
“We are thinking about different kinds of models because we really don’t know how long the crisis will last for and who will be left at the end”, he said.
“If the mix of airlines and the nature of the demand changes then we will be changing our business model.”
According to flight control agency Eurocontrol, there were just 414 flights from the airport yesterday, down from 1,313 on the same day last year.
That figure is considerably higher than the number of flights out of London Stansted and London Gatwick yesterday, which stood at 255 and 185 respectively.
Holland-Kaye’s comments came after another prominent figure in the airlines industry, former British Airways owner IAG boss Willie Walsh, said that the sector would look markedly different in five years time.
Walsh said that there would be fewer players in the market, but as a result of the crisis those that remained would be more “resilient”.
However, he warned that carriers were facing a “tough, tough winter”, with demand still pinned down by the UK’s quarantine regime.
His words were echoed by the head of the Business Travel Association Clive Wratten, who called on the government to give sector-specific help to the industry.
“Our industry urgently needs financial support extended well into 2021 and the introduction of testing on departure”, Wratten said.
“We want to get Britain moving – safely. Business travel powers our economy and Britain’s reputation for trade.
“Today, 50 per cent of our industry stand to lose their jobs at the end of October and that figure is quickly rising. There is no time to delay if we want to keep Britain open for business.”