Heathrow Airport, one of the world’s busiest airports, is losing passengers due to the United Kingdom’s (UK’s) new travel requirement.
The UK Electronic Travel Authorization (UK ETA) has significantly reduced the number of people who use the airport to transfer to other flights.
The airport recently reported losing around 90,000 transit passengers on flights that require travelers to obtain a UK ETA, as per The Guardian.
This includes travelers from seven countries: Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The loss of passengers has sparked concerns about how the ETA could affect Heathrow and the UK’s economy.
Heathrow Airport CEO Thomas Woldbye described the UK ETA scheme as “devastating for our hub competitiveness.”
“We urge the government to review the inclusion of airside transit passengers,” he stressed.
“Every little bit of extra competitiveness that government can deliver for aviation will help deliver vital growth for the whole of the UK economy,” Woldbye added.
During the first four months of the UK ETA implementation, Heathrow had reported 19,000 fewer transit passengers from Qatar.
How the UK ETA affects transit passengers
The British government introduced the UK ETA as part of its efforts to strengthen border security and better manage immigration.
The aim is to ensure that travelers entering or passing through the UK are adequately pre-screened and vetted before they arrive.
The program was launched for Qatari nationals in November 2023. In February 2024, it included nationals of other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and Jordan.
The UK ETA scheme requires travelers from these countries to apply for and obtain travel authorization before their trip.
It costs £10 per application and is valid for multiple short trips to the UK of less than six months over two years.
It applies to those who come to the UK for tourism, visiting family and friends, permitted business activities, and short-course study.
Transit passengers who are just changing flights at Heathrow or other UK airports also need a UK ETA.
The UK government plans to implement the UK ETA scheme for all non-visa nationals by the end of 2024.
This means all travelers who can visit the UK without a visa will soon be required to have a UK ETA before their trip.
The UK ETA requirement for EU, EEA, and Swiss nationals will reportedly be postponed until early next year.
Heathrow’s concerns about the UK ETA scheme
Heathrow officials are very concerned about the impact of the ETA on the airport’s operations.
While the airport supports its aim of securing the country’s borders, it said transit passengers must be exempt.
Heathrow Airport CEO Woldbye had repeatedly asked the UK government to reconsider the UK ETA scheme for transit passengers.
Woldbye and other air transport bodies believe that requiring transfer passengers to obtain a UK ETA significantly reduces airports’ competitiveness.
They argued that the scheme may force passengers to transit in other airports that do not require an added fee.
Transit passengers, especially airside transit passengers or those not going through border control, should not be charged extra.
The decline in transit passengers is a massive loss for Heathrow, which relies heavily on transfers to maintain its hub status.
It could also mean losses for UK airlines, such as British Airways and more, that depend on transit passengers’ income.
If fewer people use Heathrow as a stopover, it could have a ripple effect on the UK economy as a whole.
Heathrow Airport passenger numbers still growing
Despite the drop in transfer passengers, Heathrow still sees overall growth in its passenger numbers.
In July 2024, the airport served nearly eight million passengers, a 4.2 percent increase compared to the same month last year.
This growth has made Heathrow the busiest airport in Europe during the first half of 2024.
It outpaced other major European airports like Amsterdam Schiphol, Frankfurt, and Paris Charles de Gaulle.
“We were smashing a passenger record almost every single day,” said Heathrow CEO Woldbye.
Heathrow set new weekly records, with over 1.8 million passengers passing through the airport each week for three consecutive weeks.
He said it is on track to achieve a new “never-before-seen” goal of serving eight million passengers in one month.
This growth shows that Heathrow is still a major player in global air travel, even with the challenges posed by the ETA.
The future of UK ETA for transit passengers
The UK government has defended the ETA scheme, saying it is necessary for the country’s safety and security.
They plan to expand the scheme, which could affect even more passengers who use Heathrow to transfer to other flights.
Heathrow and other air transport industry leaders are pushing for changes to the UK ETA scheme.
They hope to balance keeping the country safe and maintaining the UK’s position as a top destination for global air travel.
The outcome of this debate could have far-reaching implications for Heathrow’s future role as a primary gateway to the world.