Heathrow airport said it is working with partners around the
world to establish a ¡°Common International Standard¡± for safe air travel as airlines
plan their return to the skies after the coronavirus pandemic is under control
and restrictions are lifted.
The airport said re-establishing long-haul passenger flights
to and from the UK will be critical for the country¡¯s supply chain, exports,
inbound tourism and education.
CEO John Holland-Kaye commented: ¡°Heathrow is proud to serve
Britain by remaining open for repatriating UK citizens and critical supplies of
PPE. When we have beaten this virus, we will need to get Britain flying again
so that the economy can recover as fast as possible. That is why we are calling
on the UK government to take a lead in setting a Common International Standard
for safe air travel.¡±
Heathrow¡¯s statement came as it reported an 18.3 per cent decline
in passenger traffic during Q1 and a 12.7 per cent drop in overall revenue to
?593 million. Adjusted earnings before taxes fell by 22.4 per cent to ?315
million. The airport expects to see passenger numbers down 97 per cent in
April.
The London hub has taken a number of measures to reduce its
costs, including cutting management pay, renegotiating supplier contracts and
consolidating operations to Terminals 2 and 5. It has also temporarily closed
one of its runways.