Foreign holidays may be taking off but Heathrow is forecasting another year in the red, with total pandemic losses now topping £4 billion.
The airport warned that the surge in demand was creating a “summer travel bubble”, a temporary increase driven by outbound leisure passengers, and that this would be followed by a “winter freeze”.
It said that holidaymakers were taking advantage of the removal of UK travel restrictions as well as redeeming travel vouchers received during the pandemic. As a result the airport has raised its 2022 passenger forecast from 45.5 million to 52.8 million, equating to 65 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.
However, it said that demand remained “very volatile”, adding: “We expect these passenger numbers to drop off significantly after the summer.
Read More: Heathrow fears a harsh winter after summer travel ‘bubble’ | Business