Heathrow boss calls for 'roadmap out of lockdown' as December passenger figures plummet

The boss of Heathrow Airport has once again called on the government to create robust measures to support the aviation industry.

Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye commented: “The past year has been incredibly challenging for aviation.

“While we support tightening border controls temporarily by introducing pre-departure testing for international arrivals, as well as quarantine, this is not sustainable.

He continued: “The aviation industry is the cornerstone of the UK economy but is fighting for survival. We need a road map out of this lockdown, and a full waiver of business rates.

“This is an opportunity for the government to show leadership in creating a Common International Standard for pre-departure testing that will allow travel and trade to restart safely so that we can start to deliver the Prime Minister’s vision of a Global Britain.”

December figures for Heathrow show that 1.1 million passengers travelled through Heathrow in December - down 82.9 per cent compared to the same time last year.

The airport recorded a loss of 5.6 million passengers as the new strain of COVID-19 saw restrictions re-introduced resulting in cancelled Christmas plans.