London's Heathrow tells airlines to stop ticket sales as it caps passengers

By Paul Sandle and Yadarisa Shabong

 

Lines of passenger luggage lie arranged outside Terminal 2 at Heathrow Airport in London, Britain, June 19, 2022. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/File Photo

 

• Companies

• Airport says cap will limit disruption to passengers
• Up to 125,000 departed daily in summer 2019
• Cap will last until Sept. 11

LONDON, July 12 (Reuters) - London's Heathrow Airport asked airlines to stop selling tickets for summer departures on Tuesday, after it capped the number of passengers flying from the hub at 100,000 a day to limit queues, baggage delays and cancellations.

Britain's busiest airport, like others across Europe, is struggling to cope as demand rebounds after the pandemic. Heathrow had between 110,000 and 125,000 daily passenger departures in July and August 2019.

Airlines at Heathrow had already responded to a government appeal to cut capacity, but the airport said it needed them to go further.

https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/londons-heathrow-imposes-capacity-cap-100000-passengers-day-2022-07-12/

Rather embossing from a ‘so called First World G-8 Nation’ that it can’t get the basics right.

 

If this happened in Thailand we’d (yes, me included) would be full of criticism of incompetence.

 

It rather frustrating and pathetic that people are being paid to sit at home (on benefits) while these issues are ongoing. 

Poor management, a self-entitled work force and companies cutting workers to maximize profits & cut costs….   How is it the Middle East airlines didn’t face these same issues ? 

 

7 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Rather embossing from a ‘so called First World G-8 Nation’ that it can’t get the basics right.

 

If this happened in Thailand we’d (yes, me included) would be full of criticism of incompetence.

 

It rather frustrating and pathetic that people are being paid to sit at home (on benefits) while these issues are ongoing. 

Poor management, a self-entitled work force and companies cutting workers to maximize profits & cut costs….   How is it the Middle East airlines didn’t face these same issues ? 

 

The ME has not been spared from problems although they are caused by a different set of problems:

The Middle East has become a nightmare for airlines

 

London CNN Business  — 

Escalating tensions between the United States and Iran are making it even tougher for airlines to fly over the Middle East, a heavily trafficked region where huge chunks of airspace are already off limits because of political rivalries or war.

The latest headache for the global aviation industry came Thursday when Iran shot down an American surveillance drone, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to ban US airlines from flying above parts of the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf.

The US agency said in an advisory that it was concerned about “heightened military activities and increased political tensions” in the region after Iran used a surface-to-air missile to down the drone “while it was operating in the vicinity of civil air routes.”

https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/21/business/iran-airlines-middle-east/index.html

6 minutes ago, Scott said:

The ME has not been spared from problems although they are caused by a different set of problems:

The Middle East has become a nightmare for airlines

 

London CNN Business  — 

Escalating tensions between the United States and Iran are making it even tougher for airlines to fly over the Middle East, a heavily trafficked region where huge chunks of airspace are already off limits because of political rivalries or war.

The latest headache for the global aviation industry came Thursday when Iran shot down an American surveillance drone, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to ban US airlines from flying above parts of the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf.

The US agency said in an advisory that it was concerned about “heightened military activities and increased political tensions” in the region after Iran used a surface-to-air missile to down the drone “while it was operating in the vicinity of civil air routes.”

https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/21/business/iran-airlines-middle-east/index.html

I’ve been flying to and though Dubai & Qatar numerous times (every 1-2 months) over the past couple of years… 

No issues whatsoever…

 

Last month  flight was delayed by 30mins in Bkk, baggage made it through to my onward flight with 45min ‘layover’ in Qatar. 
 

A couple of weeks ago, in & out of Dubai, completely hassle free…  meanwhile Wife’s friends are posting of their arrival in Heathrow and waiting 2 hours for their bags…. 

17 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

I’ve been flying to and though Dubai & Qatar numerous times (every 1-2 months) over the past couple of years… 

No issues whatsoever…

 

Last month  flight was delayed by 30mins in Bkk, baggage made it through to my onward flight with 45min ‘layover’ in Qatar. 
 

A couple of weeks ago, in & out of Dubai, completely hassle free…  meanwhile Wife’s friends are posting of their arrival in Heathrow and waiting 2 hours for their bags…. 

It seems that much of the ME problems are related to longer routes and changing routes rather than airport chaos.  

This article may be about Heathrow but I can assure you no airport in the UK is untouched.

Expect to see more press releases.

The UK has become a country to avoid for many reasons.

17 minutes ago, TooPoopedToPop said:

The UK has become a country to avoid for many reasons.

Not the country it once was, that's for sure.

Like the US it has gone to the dogs.

6 hours ago, MisterTee said:

Not the country it once was, that's for sure.

Like the US it has gone to the dogs.

At least they are pedigree dogs ???? 

 

 

Edited July 13, 20223 yr by sometimewoodworker

9 hours ago, ThaIrish Sean said:

This article may be about Heathrow but I can assure you no airport in the UK is untouched.

Expect to see more press releases.

Quite so and with more rail strikes on the card, things are going to get a lot worse this summer!

You can get a job at an airport in less than 1 week. But it takes about

2 months or more to obtain security clearance to work at an airport.

If there was a terrorist attack at an airport or on board an aircraft, without proper checks. Then everyone would be saying how can this happen, I would rather have a delay and be safe...

The problem being , the lack of baggage handlers , check in staff , air crew and even pilots , most of whom were let go from their jobs rather than being furloughed . There is an article today within the BBC news web page . Airlines have been contacting previously employed staff ,asking them if they want their old job back but at less wages and worse terms . Many of the " let go staff " have found alternative employment with better wages . It is not only Heathrow that is effected , it is all of the UK

It is not only GB, in many countries in Europe are the same problems, like Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt.

I like to say maybe it is the EU but UK is not part of that anymore.

17 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Rather embossing from a ‘so called First World G-8 Nation’ that it can’t get the basics right.

 

If this happened in Thailand we’d (yes, me included) would be full of criticism of incompetence.

 

It rather frustrating and pathetic that people are being paid to sit at home (on benefits) while these issues are ongoing. 

Poor management, a self-entitled work force and companies cutting workers to maximize profits & cut costs….   How is it the Middle East airlines didn’t face these same issues ? 

 

Shall we check out which so-called First World countries actually operate Heathrow?

 

Heathrow Airport Holdings (formerly BAA) owns and runs London Heathrow Airport, Britain's aviation hub. It is in turn owned by FGP Topco, a consortium owned and led by infrastructure specialist Ferrovial (25.00%) [Spanish], Qatar Investment Authority (20.00%) [Qatari], Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) (12.62%) [Canadian], GIC (11.20%) {Singaporean], Alinda Capital Partners of the United States (11.18%) [American], China Investment Corporation (10.00%) [Chinese]and Universities Superannuation Scheme (10.00%) [British].

 

In other words, not very British.

34 minutes ago, mrfill said:

Shall we check out which so-called First World countries actually operate Heathrow?

 

Heathrow Airport Holdings (formerly BAA) owns and runs London Heathrow Airport, Britain's aviation hub. It is in turn owned by FGP Topco, a consortium owned and led by infrastructure specialist Ferrovial (25.00%) [Spanish], Qatar Investment Authority (20.00%) [Qatari], Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) (12.62%) [Canadian], GIC (11.20%) {Singaporean], Alinda Capital Partners of the United States (11.18%) [American], China Investment Corporation (10.00%) [Chinese]and Universities Superannuation Scheme (10.00%) [British].

 

In other words, not very British.

They might own it, but it's typical English management and personnel politics.

You can bet your life the managers will still get hefty pay rises though

2 hours ago, Peterphuket said:

It is not only GB, in many countries in Europe are the same problems, like Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt.

I like to say maybe it is the EU but UK is not part of that anymore.

You're right. It's nothing to do with being part of the EU, but I doubt that will stop the UK government trying to lay the blame on it.

14 hours ago, superal said:

The problem being , the lack of baggage handlers , check in staff , air crew and even pilots , most of whom were let go from their jobs rather than being furloughed . There is an article today within the BBC news web page . Airlines have been contacting previously employed staff ,asking them if they want their old job back but at less wages and worse terms . Many of the " let go staff " have found alternative employment with better wages . It is not only Heathrow that is effected , it is all of the UK

And that's the truth right there... they screwed themselves.

When even the ( IMO ) disastrous Bkk airport ( Swampy ) was better than Heathrow, it says something. At the least Bkk airport had trolleys for passengers' carry on bags, and more toilets.

I always hated having to fly out of Heathrow on Thai Airways, as they were always at the farthest end of the very long passageways, and those walkways  were devoid of any decoration, which Swampy does have.

Even the waiting area was vile, and at some stage was reduced in size so they could put in more duty free shops.

 

Heathrow was horrible, from the endless underground tunnels linking Underground and Terminal, the unfriendly staff, the incompetent security checking staff, the atrocious design, the congestion and the overpriced "restaurants" to the looooooong boring passageways to the boarding lounge.

I can't think of a single "pleasant" experience I had despite flying to Thailand from that <deleted> <deleted> at least twice a year for 10 years.

I suppose that if there was one thing that would have made it worse would have been flying British Airways, but at least I was spared that ultimate attrocity.

Well Emirates certainly aren't prepared to take Heathrow management's brazen bungling incompetence and ineptitude lying down!

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-62163254

 

8 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

When even the ( IMO ) disastrous Bkk airport ( Swampy ) was better than Heathrow, it says something. At the least Bkk airport had trolleys for passengers' carry on bags, and more toilets.

I always hated having to fly out of Heathrow on Thai Airways, as they were always at the farthest end of the very long passageways, and those walkways  were devoid of any decoration, which Swampy does have.

Even the waiting area was vile, and at some stage was reduced in size so they could put in more duty free shops.

 

Heathrow was horrible, from the endless underground tunnels linking Underground and Terminal, the unfriendly staff, the incompetent security checking staff, the atrocious design, the congestion and the overpriced "restaurants" to the looooooong boring passageways to the boarding lounge.

I can't think of a single "pleasant" experience I had despite flying to Thailand from that <deleted> <deleted> at least twice a year for 10 years.

I suppose that if there was one thing that would have made it worse would have been flying British Airways, but at least I was spared that ultimate attrocity.

Presumably you've never had the misfortune of flying to and from CDG airport (Paris), then. Surpasses even LHR and BKK in downright bloody awfulness by a country mile IMHO - and I can confirm that I've had personal experience of flying to and from all 3 airports!

 

Edited July 15, 20223 yr by OJAS

On 7/15/2022 at 8:06 PM, OJAS said:

Presumably you've never had the misfortune of flying to and from CDG airport (Paris), then. Surpasses even LHR and BKK in downright bloody awfulness by a country mile IMHO - and I can confirm that I've had personal experience of flying to and from all 3 airports!

 

No, can't say I have, but I did fly out of Dammam airport ( Saudi ) in 93 which was basically a big shed, and the old Athens airport which IMO was diabolical.

Heathrow is especially bad because they must make enough money out of it to do better, and it is the gateway to a ( supposedly ) world class city. Unfortunate then that they have stuffed it up so badly.

On 7/15/2022 at 8:00 PM, OJAS said:

Well Emirates certainly aren't prepared to take Heathrow management's brazen bungling incompetence and ineptitude lying down!

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-62163254

 

Good for them saying it like it is and putting the blame where it belongs- on Heathrow management.

On 7/13/2022 at 5:02 PM, mrfill said:

Shall we check out which so-called First World countries actually operate Heathrow?

 

Heathrow Airport Holdings (formerly BAA) owns and runs London Heathrow Airport, Britain's aviation hub. It is in turn owned by FGP Topco, a consortium owned and led by infrastructure specialist Ferrovial (25.00%) [Spanish], Qatar Investment Authority (20.00%) [Qatari], Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) (12.62%) [Canadian], GIC (11.20%) {Singaporean], Alinda Capital Partners of the United States (11.18%) [American], China Investment Corporation (10.00%) [Chinese]and Universities Superannuation Scheme (10.00%) [British].

 

In other words, not very British.

What do we really own anymore?

Note to British 'patriots': If you don't have state institutions, you don't have a state. Wave your little flags all you want, but ultimately you are somebody else's bitch...