Heathrow airport has insisted passengers will be capable to journey “as regular” in the course of the King’s coronation regardless of additional strike motion deliberate subsequent month.
The group mentioned “strong contingency plans saved the airport operating easily” all through the Easter break despite walkouts by members of the Unite union.
About 1,400 airport safety guards are set to stage eight strikes in a dispute over pay, together with in the course of the coronation of the King.
Heathrow mentioned: “Passengers can count on to journey as regular in the course of the coronation and half time period peaks, no matter additional pointless strike motion by Unite.”
The group mentioned it remained within the purple in the course of the first three months of the yr, with underlying pre-tax losses of £139 million, though this was down sharply on the £223 million losses seen a yr earlier.
Heathrow blamed this on the income allowance underneath the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) settlement – which caps the typical cost levied in opposition to airways per passenger – which it mentioned was “set too low”.
Fees are paid by airways however are usually handed on to passengers in air fares.
The airport has requested competitors regulator the Competitors and Markets Authority (CMA) to assessment the CAA’s determination.
Heathrow claimed it remained Europe’s busiest airport within the first quarter, with a 74% leap in passengers to 16.9 million.
Chief govt John Holland-Kaye mentioned: “2023 has acquired off to a robust begin.”
Mr Holland-Kaye reiterated an attraction to the Authorities to reinstate tax-free gross sales for abroad guests.
He mentioned: “We’re constructing our route community to attach all of Britain to the rising markets of the world – now we’d like the Authorities to lure worldwide guests again to the UK by scrapping the ‘vacationer tax’.”
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt reversed a plan to take away VAT from airport buying final autumn.
His predecessor Kwasi Kwarteng had promised vacationers to the UK would be capable to declare a VAT refund on items after it was first scrapped in 2021.