Europe's busiest airport Heathrow SHRINKS operations but remains open in face of coronavirus threat

Authorities at London’s Heathrow airport announced they would shrink their operations in order to remain open throughout the ongoing coronavirus crisis which has brought the airline industry to its knees.

The airport is the busiest in Europe by international passenger traffic and has been forced to cut costs to preserve cash and weather the Covid-19 storm. 

“Keeping Heathrow open will enable some passenger services to continue, as well as facilitating cargo operations which will safeguard vital supply lines for the UK,” the airport firm said in a statement.

Whilst we remain committed to remaining open, Heathrow's financial performance will be significantly impacted by this unprecedented situation.

The airport authority’s current financial performance spurred the decision, with roughly 12 months of liquidity on the books or approximately £3.3 billion ($3.6 billion) available to keep operations running. Current emergency measures include cancelling executive pay, a recruitment freeze and an ongoing review of all capital projects for the foreseeable future. 

Heathrow is owned by Spain's Ferrovial, the Qatar Investment Authority, China Investment Corp and others. 

Airports and airlines are awaiting the details of a government stimulus package aimed at buffering the worst effects of the coronavirus pandemic. 

A resident who lives in the vicinity of Heathrow found a silver lining amidst all the doom and gloom of the pandemic, saying that the reduced activity at the enormous airport has enabled him to hear his tinnitus.

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