Heathrow, the busiest international airport, has finally recovered regarding the number of passengers travelling through its gates since the beginning of the pandemic. Like most airlines around the world, Heathrow has also experienced considerable losses since quarantines and curfews were enforced in 2020.
The lack of travelling passengers required airline companies to cancel numerous flights and lay off employees. Hence, the financial loss was considerable as some businesses wouldn’t even refund cancelled trips, attracting poor reviews from customers.
Moreover, most airline companies requested customers to provide proof of vaccination to be able to travel, which was also controversial to some people who boycotted them, contributing to poor reputation and decreasing a brand’s positive perception.
However, most companies barely made it back since the pandemic, but Heathrow is among the first to break records again.
How has Heathrow Airport recovered?
Heathrow now has more passengers than before the pandemic, with 7.1 million people getting through it this September, the highest number recorded even before quarantines, according to Sky News. It took a while for the airport to reach these numbers since most passengers are from European countries, whose restoration of business and long flights are more difficult to operate through challenging times.
The companies that had a remarkable comeback after the pandemic were easyJet and Ryanair, which had a good profit recently. However, the head of the airport was replaced by someone else, so we should expect some things to change in the future. Hence, the regular parking Heathrow spot fees might also vary, but if you book a place in advance, you’ll surely benefit from reasonable prices.
The airport’s team warned that it would take years for the industry to heal
In 2022, the London Heathrow team discussed the possibility of air travel to have the same productivity rate as before the pandemic, only a few years from now. The statement came after the conflict between Russia and Ukraine affected the entire world.
That was also when the airport’s maximum passenger number capacity was lifted, which improved the demand over the summer season when most people go on holidays. However, the company admitted to having to recruit and train attendees to face the flight increase.
But they are back on track faster than expected. The International Air Transport Association
forecasted that the industry will be back financially with the same rates as before the pandemic, only in 2024. Indeed, Heathrow’s capacity improved considerably and was helped by other businesses, such as https://parkos.co.uk/.
How much has Heathrow Airport lost since the pandemic?
Although the company is slowly recovering, it might take some time to withstand the losses due to the pandemic. In 2022, the airport reported losses of £3.8 Billion, although it remained one of the busiest airports in the UK.
Still, compared to other airline businesses, Heathrow wasn’t that negatively affected by the pandemic. Around 64 worldwide airlines closed their operations during the pandemic. Now, some have changed names, while others declared bankruptcy, but most have simply disappeared, especially smaller ones that were expected to cease at some point.
The entire industry experienced around £180 billion in losses from the pandemic until 2020. Unfortunately, this meant that an incredibly high number of employees were laid off in the middle of one of the worst times in history.
Strikes continue at Airport Heathrow
2023 was the year of strikes worldwide, and Heathrow Airport wasn’t left behind. If, in 2022, workers went on strike for pay for three days, now handling staff and baggage servicing employees are also asking for a higher salary due to the increased living cost.
There will be two strike events in October, from the 6th to the 9th, and then another ten days from the 20th to the 29th. Around 170 Unite union members will participate, and they’re expecting the head of the company to recognise their contribution since all passengers and their security depend on the workers’ services.
Many other airline workers protest for their rights
While the strike at Heathrow Airport is on a smaller scale, other important companies, such as American and Alaska Airlines, experienced similar issues. For example, the Association of Flight Attendants of Alaska has asked for a 40% wage increase for more than 6,500 workers.
Otherwise, they might go on strike during the holiday season this year.
The 26,000 flight attendants from American Airlines recently voted to authorise a strike through the Association of Professional Flight Attendants. They wish for a 35% wage increase and have started these negotiations in 2019 but with no particular success.
Labour unions are coming back to protect worker’s rights
Unions have grown in popularity in the past years, as employers’ practices have proved to take advantage of workers being silenced. However, employees are getting tired of companies’ need for profit, especially since living costs have increased considerably, and more are starting unions to improve their powers.
As a part of collective bargaining, workers can receive better wages, benefits and stability if they negotiate. At the same time, joining a union instead of speaking up protects them from bad management practices, such as sudden layoffs, because companies can’t afford to lose all their workers.
Although it sounds like asking for the bare minimum, it’s what people must do to get decent working conditions. For instance, most workers have to advocate for no unpaid mandatory overtime, time off for caring for their families and even training programs. However, it’s challenging to get such advantages from smaller companies if those like Amazon are constantly exploiting their employees and are getting away with it.
Conclusion
Heathrow Airport is getting back on track after the pandemic dramatically decreased its number of travellers and flights. Although it’s still struggling with employing and training new staff, as well as providing decent working conditions and salaries for the existing employees, the company may slowly improve in the future, since it’s the biggest airport in the UK and has significant flow from Europe and the US.
