Heathrow airport has warned it expects its passenger numbers for the rest of the year to be affected by the situation in the Middle East.
Some 18.9 million people passed through its four terminals during the first three months of the year.
This was a year-on-year increase of 3.7%, which the airport said was because it “temporarily absorbed demand from elsewhere”.
About half a million passengers per day usually use airports in Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi, which are vital hubs for travel between Europe and the continents of Asia and Australia.
Airspace closures following the outbreak of the war in the Middle East on February 28 had a major impact on air travel.
Much of the region’s airspace has since reopened, but many people are avoiding flying there because of the war.
Heathrow’s warning comes after ITV News exclusively revealed that airlines have asked the government for emergency support in order to protect business travel, holiday traffic and freight operations,
Earlier this month ITV News was given access to a confidential briefing document submitted to ministers and the regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), warning that if the disruption “continues or worsens”, it will force airlines to cut flights and push up fares.
In a trading update on Wednesday, Heathrow said: “While Heathrow has temporarily absorbed demand from elsewhere, passenger numbers for the rest of the year are likely to be impacted whilst there is significant uncertainty in the Middle East.”
Chief financial officer Sally Ding said Heathrow is currently “full”. Credit: PA
Meanwhile, Sally Ding, Heathrow’s chief financial officer, declared the airport is ready to go ahead with its plan to build a third runway “with the right regulatory framework and Government policy in place”.
She said Heathrow is currently “full”, which means “fewer choices and higher fares for passengers, and missed opportunities for the UK economy”.
Heathrow’s first-quarter revenue increased by 2.3% from a year ago to £844 million, amid rises in passenger numbers, food and beverage sales and uptake of premium services.
But its adjusted operating costs were 6.5% higher, driven by an uptick in wages and national insurance payments, IT investments and the number of passengers requiring support.
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