Heathrow airport eyes fresh loss despite recovery

LONDON’S Heathrow airport on Tuesday (May 10) said it expects another loss-making year in 2022 as fallout from high inflation, renewed Covid travel restrictions and the Ukraine war hamper aviation's recovery.

"Heathrow expects to remain loss-making throughout this year," it said in a statement.

This despite the airport handling 5 million passengers in April -- almost double February's figure.

Heathrow increased its passenger forecast for this year to nearly 45.5 million, up 16 per cent on its previous estimate.

While the aviation sector recovers as skies reopen and economies emerge from lockdowns, Heathrow on Tuesday pointed to factors hampering the rebound.

These included the Bank of England last week warning that the UK economy could fall into recession amid a cost-of-living crisis.

"The ongoing war in Ukraine, higher fuel costs, continuing travel restrictions for key markets like the United States and the potential for a further (Covid) variant of concern creates uncertainty going forward," Heathrow added.

The hub estimated this year's travel demand to reach 65 per cent of pre-Covid levels.

"While I am encouraged by the rise in passenger numbers, we also have to be realistic," Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said in the trading update.

"There are significant challenges ahead."

Heathrow narrowed annual losses only slightly last year to £1.8 billion (S$3.1 billion, 2.1 billion euros), the airport revealed in February.

However in March, it announced plans to recruit 12,000 staff to meet the passenger demand this year. AFP