Collapse in aviation demand leads to closure of one Heathrow runway

Saturday, April 4, 2020

After British Airways announced further cuts to services, Heathrow seeing the collapse in aviation demand announced that it will close one of its two runways from Monday.

Currently the airport alternate flights taking off and landing at each runway and switching over during the course of the day on a biweekly pattern.

Heathrow said that it  was a temporary measure due to the unprecedented impacts of the coronavirus outbreak and it will provide them with greater resilience and safety for our colleagues, passengers and cargo.

At this time they are facilitating significantly fewer flights due to travel restrictions around the world.The hub airport is usually among the busiest in world and operates at near 100 per cent capacity all-year round.

Both Gatwick and Manchetser airports have both cut operations to a single terminal  and the London City Airport has closed completely for a month.

Heathrow mentioned that they were making this change as they believed that it is vital that Heathrow remains open so that critical repatriation flights and cargo services can continue to operate.

In facilitating the supply chain of vital medical goods and food for the nation the airport is playing a crucial role. Almost 41 per cent of the UK’s pharmaceutical products are imported through Heathrow.

The move to single runway operations will improve their resilience if they see a further Covid-19 related reduction in staffing levels either from air traffic controllers or their airfield operations colleagues.

The airport will only remain open  if they continue to operate safely.

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