Heathrow passenger numbers plunge 73% in 2020 amid wider gloom for airlines

Britain’s busiest airport said on Monday that it saw passenger numbers slump 73% during 2020, as COVID-19 restrictions all but shut down the travel industry. For December alone, passenger numbers at Heathrow plummeted 83% as fear about the new strain of COVID-19 meant countries shut their borders to the UK. Alongside this, millions of people were forced to cancel Christmas travel. The approval of the first vaccines in November was perceived to be a turning point for the industry, but the complication of new, more transmittable strains of the virus has lead to further groundings. At one point following the news more than 50 countries had closed their borders to the UK for fear of spreading it. The airport also said that its annual cargo volumes fell 28% as fewer passenger planes meant there was less space available for goods. Figures from November show the IATA expects a net loss of $118.5b for the industry in 2020. Airlines are expected to lose another $38.7b in 2021.<br/>