The number of people flying to and from Heathrow Airport has fallen by almost 50% from pre-pandemic levels.
Figures released by West London Airport show that 2.9 million passengers used it last month.
In February 2020, just before the pandemic prompted people to stay at home, it was used by 5.4 million.
An airport spokesman said outbound leisure traffic is “recovering sharply” but demand for inbound flights has remained subdued.
Nearly two-thirds of the markets the company serves are still under coronavirus testing and quarantine requirements.
- Heathrow passenger numbers at their lowest in 50 years
- UK citizens are advised not to travel to Russia
The spokesperson added that the industry is facing “headwinds” due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, such as: B. higher fuel prices, longer flight times on routes affected by airspace closures and concerns by US travelers about a war in Europe.
The likelihood of new worrying coronavirus variants emerging is also a potential threat to growth, the spokesman said.
The latest figures are 15% below forecasts.
But the spokesman said the strength of holiday bookings abroad reported by airlines suggests demand could return to 85% of pre-pandemic levels on the busiest days this summer.
To cope with expected passenger growth, the airport is hiring 12,000 new employees and plans to reopen Terminal 4 before July.
But it is “particularly concerned about Border Force’s ability to scale up to meet demand.”
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is expected to make a final decision later this year on how much Heathrow can charge airlines for using the airport through 2027.
The regulator allowed Heathrow to increase charges by more than 50% from earlier this year as a temporary measure.
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