Summer operations at London Heathrow (LHR) were impacted by the implementation of a daily capacity cap. The airport had to implement the measure due to being unable to run at full capacity as a result of unexpected growth and a lack of staff. However, the facility is now in a position to remove this cap.

Uncapped operations are inbound

In a statement released today, London Heathrow Airport confirmed that it would be removing its daily passenger cap on October 30th. This follows a summer of growth at the airport and will allow the facility to operate at full capacity once again. Rumors of Heathrow's limit being removed had begun to emerge earlier this month.

That being said, Heathrow is considering how it will manage capacity over Christmas. Indeed, with the festive period being a busy time of year for travel, the airport may have to alter schedules to prevent disruption. It states that:

"We are working with airlines to agree a highly targeted mechanism that, if needed, would align supply and demand on a small number of peak days in the lead-up to Christmas. This would encourage demand into less busy periods, protecting the heavier peaks, and avoiding flight cancellations due to resource pressures."

London Heathrow Airport ATC Tower & Qatar Airways Airbus A350
Photo: London Heathrow Airport

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A prosperous summer despite the cap

The airport also noted that, while its operations have been restricted in recent months, it still enjoyed a busy summer. Indeed, with 18 million passengers having used the airport over the summer, Heathrow regained its crown as Europe's busiest airport. Reflecting on this, Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye stated,

"Everyone at Heathrow pulled together to serve consumers this summer. (...) 18 million people got away on their journeys, more than any other airport in Europe, with the vast majority experiencing good service. We have lifted the summer cap and are working with airlines and their ground handlers to get back to full capacity at peak times as soon as possible."

Heathrow implemented the cap in July, limiting its daily capacity to 100,000 passengers. This generated a degree of backlash from certain airlines, with Emirates being an outspoken critic of the move. It was originally set to be in place until mid-September, but was extended to late October. Similar limits have been implemented at other European hubs, such as Amsterdam Schiphol.

London Heathrow Airport Underground Station Sign
Photo: Getty Images

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Still not at 2019 levels

Despite Heathrow's prosperous summer, and its renewed ability to operate at full capacity, its passenger numbers are still somewhat lower than those experienced before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Indeed, the facility expects to handle 60 - 62 million passengers next year, compared to almost 81 million in 2019.

This would represent a drop of 25%, although the figure is, of course, still considerably higher than the disrupted years of 2020 and 2021. Heathrow cites "headwinds of a global economic crisis, war in Ukraine, and the impact of COVID-19" as reasons why it won't yet be returning to pre-pandemic demand.

What do you make of the removal of London Heathrow's daily capacity limit? Have you flown to or from the UK's largest airport in recent months? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!

  • heathrow_17581988126223
    London Heathrow Airport
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    LHR-EGLL
    Country:
    United Kingdom
    CEO:
    John Holland-Kaye
    Passenger Count :
    19,392,178 (2021)
    Runways :
    09L/27R - 3,902m (12,802ft) | 09R/27L - 3,660m (12,008ft)
    Terminals:
    Terminal 2 | Terminal 3 | Terminal 4 | Terminal 5