The Heathrow Passenger Cap Has Been Extended To 29th October

Heathrow announced yesterday afternoon that the previously imposed cap of 100,000 passengers a day is now being extended until the 29th of October. The Heathrow Passenger Cap was previously due to end on the 11th of September…

Why is the Heathrow Passenger Cap being extended?

Heathrow was one of the worst hit by the severe disruption that affected many UK airports over early summer due to staffing shortages. Whist staffing isn’t up to the required amount to give a ‘reliable service’ Heathrow has decided to extend the cap. Heathrow has said the previous cap led to an improvement in punctuality and fewer last-minute cancellations.

The airport also said the cap would be kept under regular review and could be lifted early if staffing levels improved.

Under 0.5% of flights from UK airports were cancelled in the first week of August, compared with more than 5% in the last week of June, according to figures from aviation data company OAG. Which suggests the cap is working to minimise disruption!

Should I book bearing in mind the Cap?

As schools return in early September it’s likely that passenger numbers will be below Heathrow’s cap but with it being extended into the October Half-Term it could cause some issues. If you are looking to book an October half-term getaway we’d recommend choosing either 1) an alternative airport if possible or 2) booking earlier rather than later in case your Airline decides to stop sales to meet the cap (as BA did here.)

The cap is designed to prevent last-minute cancellations so if you secure your flights as soon as possible you should be OK (or at least know far enough in advance to make changes if required!)

The Statement From Heathrow In Full…

“Following a consultation with airlines, Heathrow has confirmed it will extend the existing limits on the airport’s capacity through to 29 October, the end of the summer season. This will provide passengers with confidence ahead of their half-term getaways. 

In July, Heathrow introduced temporary capacity limits to improve passenger journeys over the summer getaway. By better balancing passenger demand with available resources, we are able to operate a safe airport ecosystem that prioritises passenger needs. Since then, the cap has resulted in fewer last-minute cancellations, better punctuality and shorter waits for bags. Several other airports, including Gatwick, Frankfurt and Schiphol have also put in place equivalent capacity limits as the entire aviation sector, both home and away, faces similar challenges. Schiphol has also extended its cap through to the end of October.

The capacity limits will be kept under regular review and could be lifted earlier should there be a sustained picture of better resilience and a material increase in resourcing levels, notably at some airline ground handlers which remains a core constraint on capacity at the airport. The airport is a complex ecosystem with many organisations needing to work closely together. We encourage our partners to be transparent in sharing data, particularly on recruitment of additional colleagues, so that we can build confidence in the removal of the capacity limits as quickly as possible.

To support efforts to build back resilience in the airport system, Heathrow launched a review of airline ground handling last week. As part of an overall review of the ecosystem, we will be working with airlines and ground handlers to understand how we can unlock more capacity in this critical part of the airport, enabling us to meet passenger demand in the months and years ahead.”