Heathrow Airport, the bustling hub of the United Kingdom, has reported a significant setback following the introduction of the £10 Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) fee by the Conservative government in November 2023. The airport authorities have revealed that since the implementation of the scheme, Heathrow has experienced a decline of 90,000 transfer passengers on routes operating to and from the seven countries included in the programme.
The ETA, which is largely based on the US Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), requires travellers to apply for entry into the UK before departing and pay a £10 fee. This applies not only to direct flights from the affected countries but also to those using UK airports for more than two hours to connect to other flights. Heathrow has expressed grave concerns about the impact of this charge on its competitiveness as a global hub.
The airport emphasized that the loss of transfer passengers is “devastating” for its ability to compete with other international airports. Many lengthy routes rely heavily on long-haul transit passengers, and the decline in numbers represents a “huge blow to UK competitiveness.” The airport authorities have urged the government to review the inclusion of airside transit passengers in the ETA scheme. They believe that exempting these passengers from the fee would help mitigate the negative impact on Heathrow’s competitiveness and, by extension, the UK economy as a whole.
Despite the challenges posed by the ETA fee, Heathrow remains Europe’s busiest airport in the first half of 2024, with nearly 8 million passengers using the airport in July alone. The airport also recorded a weekly passenger total of 1.8 million for three consecutive weeks from 8 July, a first for the west London hub.
As the UK government continues to keep the requirement for transit passengers to obtain an ETA under review, Heathrow is bracing itself for the potential long-term impact of this policy on its position as a leading global aviation hub. The airport’s authorities remain committed to working with the government to find a solution that balances border security with the need to maintain the UK’s competitiveness in the international aviation market.
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