Gatwick Airport returned to profitability in 2022 amid a bounce-back in air travel as coronavirus rules eased, but said it has “some way to go to reach a full recovery.” The West Sussex airport reported profit after tax of £196.5 million for last year, against total losses of more than £830 million during 2020 and 2021. Gatwick, which is majority owned by France-based … [Read more...] about Gatwick returns to profit as air travel bounces back
Airports
Heathrow ready for ‘successful Easter getaway’ after chaos of 2022
Heathrow has sought to reassure families it is prepared for a “successful Easter getaway” after many saw their holiday plans ruined a year ago. The west London airport said overall passenger satisfaction is “close to pre-pandemic levels”. The punctuality of departing flights in February was “the most consistent it has been in the last 12 months”, while more than 98% of … [Read more...] about Heathrow ready for ‘successful Easter getaway’ after chaos of 2022
Fledgling airline Norse to serve the most US destinations from London’s Gatwick in summer
Norse Atlantic Airways has announced it will serve more US destinations from Gatwick than any other airline this summer. The fledgling Norwegian low-cost carrier said it will add Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington DC to its transatlantic operations from the West Sussex airport. It already connects Gatwick with New York, and recently announced it will serve … [Read more...] about Fledgling airline Norse to serve the most US destinations from London’s Gatwick in summer
Heathrow Airport narrows losses after ‘year of recovery’
Heathrow Airport narrowed its losses sharply in 2022 amid a bounce back in travel demand, but said results were weighed on by surging cost pressures and lower passenger numbers. The group reported underlying pre-tax losses of £684 million for last year, against losses of £1.3 billion in 2021. It said no dividends were paid in 2022 and none are planned for 2023 as it … [Read more...] about Heathrow Airport narrows losses after ‘year of recovery’
Heathrow Airport records busiest start of year since before pandemic
Heathrow Airport is “back to its best” having recorded the busiest start of the year since before the pandemic, its boss John Holland-Kaye has said. The UK’s busiest airport revealed more than 5.4 million passengers traveled through Heathrow in January, reaching levels not seen since the start of 2020. It comes as UK airports were hit with severe disruption in the run up … [Read more...] about Heathrow Airport records busiest start of year since before pandemic
Heathrow records biggest increase in passengers of any European airport
Heathrow said it recorded the largest increase in passengers of any European airport last year. The west London airport was used by 61.6 million passengers in 2022, up 42.2 million compared with 2021. It experienced a surge in passenger numbers after the UK scrapped all coronavirus travel restrictions in March last year, after having some of Europe’s toughest rules in … [Read more...] about Heathrow records biggest increase in passengers of any European airport
Ten American Cities with Direct Flights to London
Is there anything more annoying about air travel than a layover? Okay, maybe bad food, crying babies, terrible in-flight movies, or that one other passenger that causes so much trouble they have to get duct taped to a seat. But anyway, layovers can still be pretty annoying especially when you need to fly an incredibly long distance like, say, to London. Fortunately for you, … [Read more...] about Ten American Cities with Direct Flights to London
Heathrow doing ‘everything we can’ to protect flights on strike days
Heathrow has announced it is doing “everything we can” to ensure no flights are canceled due to Border Force strikes. It is one of six UK airports where Border Force workers will walk out from December 23. There are fears that delays in checking the passports of arriving passengers could lead to long queues and even people being held on planes, disrupting subsequent … [Read more...] about Heathrow doing ‘everything we can’ to protect flights on strike days
Heathrow Express Decorates for Christmas
Heathrow Express, the express train that runs from Heathrow to Paddington in fifteen minutes, has gotten into the Christmas spirit. From the press release: Between 5th - 7th December, those lucky enough to be traveling in the Christmas carriage can experience a joyful journey. Christmas postal elves will guide people along the platform to the carriage, where twinkling … [Read more...] about Heathrow Express Decorates for Christmas
Heathrow Airport employs Dave the robot dog
Heathrow Airport has employed a robotic dog called Dave in a bid to improve efficiency and safety on major construction projects. Dave is a robot developed by Boston Dynamics, an American engineering and robotic company, and is being trialed in partnership with Mace, a global consultancy and construction company, with Dave providing 3D laser scans of the ongoing refurbishment … [Read more...] about Heathrow Airport employs Dave the robot dog
Merry Strikemas: Flights will be disrupted at Heathrow as workers confirm strike in pay row
Ground handlers employed by a private contractor at Heathrow Airport are to strike in a row over pay. Around 350 members of Unite working for Menzies will walk out for 72 hours from 4am on Friday December 16. The action will lead to some flight disruption, the union said. “Menzies needs to have a long hard look at itself. This is a highly lucrative company, which … [Read more...] about Merry Strikemas: Flights will be disrupted at Heathrow as workers confirm strike in pay row
Virgin Atlantic boss says Heathrow expansion will be ‘difficult’ to support
The Heathrow expansion will be “difficult” to support unless regulation of the airport is overhauled, the boss of Virgin Atlantic has warned. Chief executive Shai Weiss said the west London airport must be “priced fairly and open to competition”. Heathrow is continuing to develop its plan to build a third runway, which was delayed by legal challenges and the coronavirus … [Read more...] about Virgin Atlantic boss says Heathrow expansion will be ‘difficult’ to support
Heathrow passenger numbers ‘will take years to return to pre-pandemic levels,’ ends passenger cap
It will take years for Heathrow to get back to carrying as many passengers as before the pandemic, bosses have revealed. The UK’s largest airport is expected to carry between 60 million and 62 million passengers this year. It is a quarter fewer than 2019 – the year before Covid-19 hit the global economy. This summer, airlines and airports faced major problems as they … [Read more...] about Heathrow passenger numbers ‘will take years to return to pre-pandemic levels,’ ends passenger cap
Heathrow regains status as Europe’s busiest airport
Heathrow has regained its status as Europe’s busiest airport. The west London airport said it was used by more passengers between July and September than rivals in cities such as Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Madrid. A year ago, Heathrow blamed the UK’s comparatively strict coronavirus travel rules for it being just the 10th busiest airport in Europe, after being number … [Read more...] about Heathrow regains status as Europe’s busiest airport
Heathrow cap on passenger numbers will be extended to end of October
Heathrow Airport has announced that it will extend its cap on passenger numbers for another six weeks as the aviation sector continues to struggle to cope with demand for travel. No more than 100,000 travelers will be able to depart per day until October 29, the west London airport said. It said the move was taken following an improvement in punctuality and fewer delays … [Read more...] about Heathrow cap on passenger numbers will be extended to end of October
London’s Heathrow caps passenger numbers amid travel chaos forcing airlines to cancel flights
Heathrow Airport has introduced a cap on passenger numbers this summer as the aviation sector struggles to cope with demand for travel. No more than 100,000 daily passengers will be able to depart from July 12 until September 11, the west London airport announced. If your flight is canceled or rescheduled, your airline will contact you (they are legally required to rebook … [Read more...] about London’s Heathrow caps passenger numbers amid travel chaos forcing airlines to cancel flights
London City Airport bids to ease Saturday flight ban
London City Airport wants its ban on flights after 1 pm on Saturdays to be scrapped. The airport is also calling for more flights to be allowed early in the morning and late at night. It claimed the measures are vital to allow it to meet future demand. But residents’ organisation Hacan East warned the plans will “anger” local communities. London City has launched … [Read more...] about London City Airport bids to ease Saturday flight ban
Heathrow Airport told to reduce passenger charges
Heathrow Airport must reduce its passenger charges amid a surge in demand for flights, the aviation regulator has announced The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said the cap on the west London airport’s average charge per passenger will fall from £30.19 today to £26.31 in 2026. This is equivalent to nearly a 6% reduction each year when the effects of inflation are removed, … [Read more...] about Heathrow Airport told to reduce passenger charges
Heathrow passenger numbers at 79% of pre-coronavirus levels
Heathrow has announced that passenger numbers were at 79% of pre-coronavirus levels last month. Some 5.3 million people travelled through the west London airport in May. Although that was around a fifth below the total for the same month in 2019, it represents nearly an eight-fold increase on May last year when the UK’s Covid-19 travel restrictions were in … [Read more...] about Heathrow passenger numbers at 79% of pre-coronavirus levels
Gatwick reopens south terminal as airlines ramp up schedules
Flights are ramping up from around 300 to 570 a day on Sunday, making it equivalent to opening a medium-sized airport overnight. The terminal has been dormant since June 15 2020 to reduce costs during the coronavirus pandemic. Its shops, cafes, and other facilities have undergone months of refurbishment, updating, and cleaning ahead of the reopening. Gatwick said the … [Read more...] about Gatwick reopens south terminal as airlines ramp up schedules
London’s Heathrow Airport Ends COVID-19 Mask Requirements
London's Heathrow Airport has announced that it will end the requirement to wear masks in the airport, based on the recent UK government announcement that all COVID travel restrictions and regulations will end from Friday. Here are the full details from the Heathrow press release in my inbox: Those traveling through Heathrow will no longer be required to wear a … [Read more...] about London’s Heathrow Airport Ends COVID-19 Mask Requirements
Heathrow records lowest annual passenger numbers for nearly 50 years
Heathrow has revealed it was the only hub airport in Europe to see a reduction in passenger numbers in 2021, due to the UK’s tougher coronavirus travel rules. Just 19.4 million people traveled through the west London airport last year. That was down 12.3% on the previous 12 months and represents the lowest annual total since 1972. The airport blamed its poor … [Read more...] about Heathrow records lowest annual passenger numbers for nearly 50 years
London Gatwick to reopen south terminal next month as airlines ramp up schedules
Gatwick Airport has announced it will reopen its south terminal next month, to meet expected strong demand for air travel this summer. The terminal has been dormant since June 15 2020 to reduce costs during the coronavirus pandemic. It will reopen on March 27 as airlines ramp up their schedules. Gatwick made the announcement on the day travel restrictions for people … [Read more...] about London Gatwick to reopen south terminal next month as airlines ramp up schedules
Heathrow to raise passenger charges by up to 76%
Flying into Heathrow is to get more expensive for passengers, but most may not notice as the fee is built into your plane ticket. One thing is becoming very clear - as we all resume traveling to Britain, it's going to be more expensive across the board as the travel industry begins to recover from a tough two years. Heathrow has been given the go-ahead to hike passenger … [Read more...] about Heathrow to raise passenger charges by up to 76%
Gatwick Airport still planning to bring emergency runway into routine use, increasing capacity
Gatwick is pressing ahead with its plan to bring its emergency runway into regular use despite the collapse in demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The UK’s second busiest airport said the work could be completed by 2029 and will align with the Government’s policy of “making best use of existing runways.” It also claimed it would be delivered in a “sustainable way … [Read more...] about Gatwick Airport still planning to bring emergency runway into routine use, increasing capacity
Londontopia is simply the website for people who love London. It was founded by Jonathan & Jackie Thomas from Anglotopia.net as a place to post articles solely focused on London and its environs. Keep up with all the latest London news at Londontopia! This site is geared towards people who love to visit London and our primary audience is North American but everyone is welcome!