HEATHROW PREDICTS 82MILLION RECORD NUMBER OF PASSENGERS THIS YEAR

Heathrow Airport has predicted a record number of passengers this year at 82.8million, as consumer appetite for holidays sees a spike.

The current record for annual passengers was set in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic at 80.9million, and this year's prediction is set to be 1.4million more than last year.

It comes after experts warned of more airport misery this summer following a number of high-profile power cuts, IT failures and system glitches at Heathrow, Manchester Birmingham and Gatwick.

'Over the first five months of the year, we have seen a strong demand in traffic at Heathrow, with 32.4 million passengers travelling through the airport,' Heathrow said in a market update. 

Consumer appetite for foreign holidays has jumped since the start of the year, but prices have also remained high as operators seek to cash in on a post-pandemic spike in demand.

A 2023 survey by travel association Abta found that 64% of Brits are planning foreign holidays in 2024.

The British Airways hub said adjusted earnings are forecast to be £1.94 billion, about 12.8% less than last year, while revenue is expected to be 4.6% down on last year at £3.5 billion.

Heathrow said aeronautical revenue is set to fall 9.7% to £2.2 billion, mainly because of a one-fifth reduction in regulatory charges since January 1.

Operating costs are forecast to rise by about 8% to £1.5 billion to accommodate the increase in demand.

Earlier this week, Heathrow was left in chaos after an IT allocation failure in British Airways' systems left passengers stranded on planes and facing hours of delays collecting their luggage.

The UK's busiest airport revealed passengers travelling from Terminal 5 'may be impacted' by the failure in BA's Allocation systems, adding that no other airline has been affected.

Footage from the Terminal showed massive queues of stricken travellers forming across the airport, as passengers struggle to correctly find their luggage.

In April, the airport posted a £189 million pre-tax profit for the first three months of 2024, compared to a £60 million loss during the same period last year.

'Operationally, we have performed well, delivering great service and successfully getting passengers on their way, particularly over the busy half terms, Easter and May public holidays,' it said.

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2024-06-28T12:02:36Z dg43tfdfdgfd