100,000 daily departing passenger limit at Heathrow until September 11

Source: Daily Mail

Heathrow Airport said it has introduced a cap of 100,000 daily departing passengers until September 11, as the aviation sector struggles to cope with demand for travel.

Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye said: 'Over the past few weeks, as departing passenger numbers have regularly exceeded 100,000 a day, we have started to see periods when service drops to a level that is not acceptable: long queue times, delays for passengers requiring assistance, bags not traveling with passengers or arriving late, low punctuality and last-minute cancellations.

'This is due to a combination of reduced arrivals punctuality (as a result of delays at other airports and in European airspace) and increased passenger numbers starting to exceed the combined capacity of airlines, airline ground handlers and the airport.

'Our colleagues are going above and beyond to get as many passengers away as possible, but we cannot put them at risk for their own safety and wellbeing.'

It came as an EasyJet passenger complained about being stuck on the runway at Gatwick for four hours before being sent back to the terminal after it failed to take off.

Dominey Jenner said the flight was due to depart Gatwick for Dubrovnik at 1.40 pm yesterday but due to delays passengers only boarded at 4.30 pm before beginning a long wait.

During the time - when temperatures were 86F (30C) outside - she says customers were only offered one glass of water and there was no food available.

They eventually left the plane at 8.30 pm following a 'mutiny' on board, "with people giving a deadline as to when they would simply leave'.

'I heard that the police at Gatwick were about to come and escort us off as they’d had calls from people on board,' she said.

Once off the plane, Ms. Jenner said their luggage: "didn't arrive until midnight," and she claimed passengers had to go through passport control despite not flying anywhere.

Frustrated holidaymakers are continuing to face chaos across Britain's airports after Heathrow canceled another 61 flights at the last minute - disrupting 10,000 passengers.