Heathrow airport raises passenger forecast as travel demand surges

London’s Heathrow airport has upgraded its passenger forecast for the year as summer demand surged more than expected, but warned of further risks to its recovery. The UK’s biggest airport forecast that 54.4mn passengers, or 67 per cent of 2019 levels, would go through its terminals this year, up from the 52.8mn it predicted in April. However, the airport warned that “significant downside risks remain”, as the cost of living crisis hits travellers’ finances and desire to go abroad. Meanwhile Covid-19 had the potential to return, while the war in Ukraine would also affect travel plans, the airport said in an investor report published Thursday. The latest figure allows for a resurgence in visitors from the US, Heathrow said. Since the airport’s previous passenger estimate, US travellers, which account historically for about 20 per cent of Heathrow’s total, no longer face taking a Covid test on their return, a ruling that was announced on June 10. Heathrow pointed to a “steady traffic increase” for this year, saying 20.1mn passengers had travelled through the airport in the first five months. That surpassed the 2.9mn of 2021 when travel restrictions were in place for much of the year. May’s figures were the highest since the start of the pandemic. Outbound leisure at weekends, school and public holidays has driven demand as a lack of Covid-induced restrictions allow people to travel more freely. Inbound leisure and business travel remains weak since many other countries maintain Covid rules.<br/>