Heathrow Airport called on the British government to open up travel for fully vaccinated passengers because it stated that the damage caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has reached nearly 3 billion pounds.
The airport reported a loss of 868 million pounds in the first half of 2021, and stated that restrictions and expensive testing requirements hindered the UK’s economic recovery. This pushed its total loss since the beginning of the pandemic to 2.9 billion pounds.
The UK’s largest airport says passenger demand is increasing, although it reports that fewer than 4 million passengers will pass through its terminal in the first six months of 2021, a figure that is already in only 18 days of traffic in 2019 Exceed.
Due to travel restrictions and costly Covid testing requirements for passengers, Heathrow Airport warned that any increase in the number of passengers is still uncertain and stated that the number of passengers in 2021 may still be less than in 2020.
Although the number of passengers has been low, there are reports that some arriving passengers on Saturday were forced to wait in line for two hours to pass through the British Immigration Service, prompting Heathrow’s owner John Holland-Kaye (John Holland). -Kaye) Apologies.
Holland-Kaye told Time Radio: “I did hear reports that passengers from the immigration department were unfortunately discovered by a combination of pings by border guards and some electronic doors not working.”
“Most people who pass through the Heathrow border have a good experience. They pass within a few minutes. This is the norm.”
Heathrow Airport welcomes the recent government changes to the traffic signal system from England, adding more summer destinations Add to “green” list.
Therefore, due to pent-up travel demand, Heathrow Airport is expected to welcome 21.5 million passengers in 2021, a slight decrease compared to last year, but a decrease of nearly 75% compared to 2019.
Holland-Kaye said: “The UK is emerging from the worst effects of the pandemic, but due to its slowness in removing restrictions, it has fallen behind EU competitors in international trade.”
“Replacement of PCR testing with lateral flow testing, and opening it to travelers from the European Union and the United States vaccinated at the end of July, will begin to drive the UK’s economic recovery.”
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Heathrow Airport said that trade routes between the EU and the United States have returned to nearly 50% of pre-pandemic levels, while trade between the United Kingdom and the United States still fell by 92%.
Heathrow Airport complained that travel is the only economic sector still facing government restrictions and called on ministers to provide financial support, including extended vacation plans, as long as travel restrictions continue.
London Airport also called for the extension of commercial rate reductions to the airport, adding that although it is currently at a loss, it pays close to 120 million pounds a year.
