Future Of British Business
Heathrow Sees Summer Travel Boom Giving Way to Winter Freeze
- Airport raises passenger forecast, warns of airline cutbacks
- Higher fees sought after pandemic losses top $5 billion
Travelers at Terminal 5 at London Heathrow Airport.
Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
London Heathrow airport raised its passenger forecast but warned that demand is likely to drop off later in the year as a summer boom gives way to a “winter freeze.”
The airport, Europe’s biggest hub before the Covid-19 pandemic decimated travel, raised its annual passenger forecast by 16%. Even so, it will remain unprofitable this year after total losses from coronavirus disruption reached 4 billion pounds ($5.1 billion).