by Heathrow blames ‘devastating’ new £10 travel permit for huge drop in passenger numbers
Heathrow Airport reports a 90,000 drop in passenger numbers on routes covered by a government-funded £10 per person passenger concession scheme.
The Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system came into force last November and is required for nationals of Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
The programme is to be extended to nationals of the EU, the European Economic Area and Switzerland at the beginning of next year, and to the rest of the world in the autumn of this year.
However, the airport described the system as “devastating for the competitiveness of our hub.”
A spokesman said: “While Heathrow continues to attract new routes and record passenger numbers, the latest data following the introduction of the ETA shows that Heathrow has lost 90,000 transfer passengers on routes to and from the seven countries included in the scheme since its launch in 2023.”
“We call on the government to review the inclusion of transit passengers on airport premises.
“Every bit of additional competitiveness the government can create for aviation will contribute to important growth for the wider UK economy.”
A Home Office spokesman told Sky News: “We are introducing ETAs to improve border security and modernise the experience for travellers.”
“The government continues to review the ETA requirement for transit travellers.”
