Heathrow's Passenger Numbers Plunge Due to New £10 Travel Permit

Airport reports loss of 90,000 transfer passengers, urging government to reconsider electronic travel authorisation scheme.

Heathrow Airport saw a decline of 90,000 passengers on routes affected by the £10 electronic travel authorisation (ETA) system.
The ETA requirement, introduced in November 2023, affects nationals from seven Middle Eastern countries and will expand globally soon.
Despite record traffic in July, Heathrow's competitiveness is reportedly hurt by the new scheme.
Heathrow executives call on the Labour government to review the inclusion of airside transit passengers in the ETA scheme.
The airport remains Europe's busiest, with nearly eight million passengers in July and new routes gaining popularity.