London Heathrow Airport Extends Passenger Restrictions Until October

Terminal 5 Bandara Heathrow London. (Wikimedia Commons/Mike McBey)

JAKARTA - The Heathrow Airport Authority, London, England said it would extend the restrictions on the number of passengers until October, due to continued travel disruptions at Europe's busiest airport.

The capacity limit at Heathrow is currently set at 100,000 passengers departing daily. It was implemented last month, after staff shortages and problems with baggage handling led to long queues and flight delays.

An authority statement said the move would give passengers "reassurance" before their part-time vacation. The move will support "more reliable and resilient passenger travel",

It also results in fewer last-minute cancellations, more punctuality and shorter waiting times for baggage since restrictions were introduced.

“Our primary concern is ensuring that we provide our passengers with reliable service while they are traveling. That is why we introduced a temporary capacity limit in July, which has increased travel during the summer holidays,” said Ross Baker, Chief Commercial Officer of Heathrow, in The National News. August 15.

"We want to remove these restrictions as soon as possible, but can only do so when we are confident that everyone operating at the airport has the resources to provide the service our passengers deserve," he added.

The airport said the limit could be lifted early if increased staff levels support operations, though previously said the measures might need to remain in place until next summer.

Last month, Heathrow's move to restrict flights angered several airlines, which were forced to halt ticket sales in one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

The airport said novice travelers caused delays and long queues, because they were not aware of safety rules such as restrictions on carrying fluids.