Source: AUN News
Heathrow Airport announced Monday that it would maintain its limitation of 100,000 leaving passengers per day through October 29 to reduce the airport turmoil that has hampered summer travel in Europe.
In July, the airport implemented a cap due to staffing issues that resulted in delayed flights, long queues, and misplaced bags. The hat was initially planned to last until September 11. The limits might be eased early if business conditions improve before October, the corporation said in a statement.
Places the passenger first
In a statement, Heathrow said that the cap had reduced cancellations, shortened wait times, and improved punctuality. The information added, “We can operate a safe airport ecosystem that prioritizes passenger requirements by better balancing passenger demand with available resources.
Flight Aware, a company that tracks flights, found that in the four weeks before the cap, an average of 40% of flights experienced delays, and 2.7% were canceled. The average rate of delays decreased to around 32% and the average rate of cancellations to 1.3% in the four weeks following the imposition of the cap, albeit the rate has not decreased each week consistently.
According to Kathleen Bangs, a spokesman for Flight Aware, the expansion of the capacity restriction is not surprising because Heathrow does not have sufficient staff to manage its operations. An organization like Heathrow “may be brought to its knees by the hourly workers,” she claimed.
Earlier this summer, travel was hectic due to high passenger demand and a lack of employees. As a result, there were many lineups, canceled flights, and missing bags. The capacity limit for leaving passengers at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, which instituted a limitation in June, has also been extended through October.
For summer tourists, the capacity restrictions have been “a mixed bag,” according to Henry Harte veldt, an analyst for Atmosphere Research. Although there may be fewer queues now, he continued, “travelers still don’t have the same range of flight options.”
He continued, “I’m hopeful we see the seat cap end before October.” The sooner it’s over, in my opinion, the better for everyone—airlines, the airport, and of course, travelers.
Analysis by: Advocacy Unified Network
