Travel welcomes Heathrow pledge to end capacity cap this month

Heathrow set out its plans for a two-month cap on passenger numbers in an open letter in July, and urged airlines not to sell additional tickets for the period covered by the cap.

The cap, though, was quickly extended through to 29 October owing to the level of flight demand and the post-Covid operational pressures on the airport, such as staffing.

However, while the decision not to extend the cap has been welcomed, the airport this week signalled it will introduce a new system to manage capacity during peak periods this winter, one it says will prioritise the protection of existing airline schedules.

The Business Travel Association said the policy had pushed up flight costs for business travellers by 30%.

A Heathrow spokesperson said: "We took necessary action in July to introduce a temporary capacity cap which has since been extended through to the end of October. This cap resulted in fewer last-minute cancellations, better punctuality and shorter waits for bags.

"Our focus has always been on removing the cap as quickly as possible – but we will only do so if we are confident that adding in more passengers will not erode the service levels that the cap has secured. We continue to work with all of our airline partners ahead of the winter season to ensure a smooth operation for our passengers.”

Heathrow added its new capping mechanism would restrict major changes or additions to schedules to peak periods.