The UK's biggest airport has warned passengers may be kicked off flights to ease travel disruption and lift the pressure on airports following lockdown, it has been suggested. Bosses at Heathrow Airport have urged airlines to stop selling seats on some flights and introduced a passenger cap instead of cancelling journeys altogether.
Heathrow wants to limit passenger numbers to 100,000 a day - reducing the total by 4,000 daily - as part of a scheme to limit the risk of delay and cancellations ahead of peak summer travel getaway. Bumping passengers off flights may result in some departing with many partially empty,
However, despite plans to cut passenger numbers, hundreds of flights are still expected to be grounded during the main holiday period.
The move initially angered airlines with Emirates voicing its fury over the plan. The carrier published a strongly worded statement blasting the “entirely unreasonable and unacceptable” move by Heathrow, which claimed it had been given just 36 hours to implement capacity cuts.
However, during the weekend, both parties appeared to agree a truce with Emirates Airlines agreeing to reduce capacity. President Sir Tim Clark and Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye issued a joint statement, which read: “Emirates agreed the airline was ready and willing to work with the airport to remediate the situation over the next two weeks, to keep demand and capacity in balance and provide passengers with a smooth and reliable journey through Heathrow this summer.
"Emirates has capped further sales on its flights out of Heathrow until mid-August to assist Heathrow in its resource ramp-up, and is working to adjust capacity. In the meantime, Emirates flights from Heathrow operate as scheduled and ticketed passengers may travel as booked."
British Airways said the cap was “incredibly disappointing news for our customers” but said it will cancel “a small number” of additional flights
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