Heathrow urges government to reassess COVID-19 testing for passengers to aid recovery

Over 3 million passengers travelled through Heathrow during October, delivering a sixth consecutive month of growth.

According to Heathrow, relaxation of travel rules ahead of half-term increased demand, with close to 100,000 travellers a day, up 144 per cent compared with the same time last year.

Despite signs of recovery, passenger levels remain 56 per cent down on pre-pandemic levels.

According to a statement issued by Heathrow airport: “With air travel at other major European airports recovering faster, Ministers should reassess testing requirements for fully vaccinated passengers and the Passenger Locator Form at the next Global Travel Taskforce review, to ensure the UK is aligned with its European competitors.”

The airport has also urged the government to introduce a price stability mechanism to foster investment in the production of sustainable aviation fuels.

Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said: “As the journey to recovery accelerates, aviation’s ambitions to decarbonise must keep pace.

“We need to keep our foot to the pedal, working to make air travel guilt-free, and Government must act with a mandate for 10 per cent Sustainable Aviation Fuel by 2030 and a price stability mechanism to upscale SAF usage, if we are to tackle the industry’s biggest challenge - carbon.”

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