Heathrow Airport is unlikely to carry as many passengers as it did before the pandemic “for a number of years,” the business said on Wednesday. Bosses said they expect to carry between 60 million and 62 million passengers this year, around a quarter fewer than in 2019.
“Headwinds of a global economic crisis, war in Ukraine and the impact of Covid-19 mean we are unlikely to return to pre-pandemic demand for a number of years, except at peak times,” the business said.
Heathrow has at least managed to swing back into a pre-tax profit after a heavy £1.4 billion loss in the first three quarters of last year. It made £643 million in the nine months. The cap that the airport introduced this summer on the number of passengers that could fly through its terminals every day will be lifted at the end of this month.
