Heathrow airport issues warning as Middle East war has major impact on air travel

The UK’s largest airport, Heathrow, has issued a warning as the war in the Middle East continues. Passenger numbers for the rest of the year will continue to be affected by the conflict, a spokesperson for the international travel hub has said.

Some 18.9 million people passed through Heathrow's four terminals during the first three months of the year. Despite this being a year-on-year increase of 3.7%, the west London airport said this was due to it having “temporarily absorbed demand from elsewhere”.

Airspace closures following the outbreak of the war in the Middle East on February 28 had a major impact on air travel. Much of the region’s airspace has since reopened, but many people are avoiding flying there because of the war.

About half a million passengers per day usually use airports in Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi, which are vital hubs for travel between Europe and the continents of Asia and Australia.

In a trading update, Heathrow said: “While Heathrow has temporarily absorbed demand from elsewhere, passenger numbers for the rest of the year are likely to be impacted whilst there is significant uncertainty in the Middle East.”

Meanwhile, Sally Ding, Heathrow’s chief financial officer, declared the airport is ready to go ahead with its plan to build a third runway “with the right regulatory framework and Government policy in place”. She said Heathrow is currently “full”, which means “fewer choices and higher fares for passengers, and missed opportunities for the UK economy”.

Heathrow’s first-quarter revenue increased by 2.3% from a year ago to £844 million, amid rises in passenger numbers, food and beverage sales and uptake of premium services. But its adjusted operating costs were 6.5% higher, driven by an uptick in wages and national insurance payments, IT investments and the number of passengers requiring support.