With passenger travel set to fall 90% in April the UK air hub is prioritising cargo, especially medical supplies

This article is more than 5 months old

This article is more than 5 months old

The number of cargo-only flights at Heathrow has surged to five times normal levels, with the airport now saying it is prioritising medical supplies as passenger travel grinds to a halt.

Britain’s biggest airport expects passenger traffic expected to plunge by 90% in April, with remaining flights mainly limited to repatriating citizens stranded abroad during the coronavirus outbreak.

Instead, the hub airport is restyling itself as a “vital airbridge” for supplies and medical essentials during the coronavirus crisis.

The number of cargo-only flights has jumped significantly. Heathrow’s busiest day for cargo so far was on 31 March, when it handled 38 cargo flights in only one day. The airport usually deals with 47 cargo flights per week.

However, the absolute volume of cargo has dropped, by 32% in March, according to the latest figures. This is because more than 95% of cargo is usually transported in the hold of passenger planes.

The airport said passenger numbers had already tumbled by 52% to 3.1m in March, compared with a year earlier, after the UK government advised against all but essential travel. Meanwhile, the total number of flights landing and taking off at Heathrow – covering passenger planes and cargo – fell 35% to 25,798.

The airport warned that the decline in travel would have “lasting and significant” effects on the industry, as it confirmed that the decline in April traffic would be even steeper than the previous month’s.

Quick guide What to do if you have coronavirus symptoms in the UK Show Hide Symptoms are defined by the NHS as either: a high temperature - you feel hot to touch on your chest or back

a new continuous cough - this means you've started coughing repeatedly NHS advice is that anyone with symptoms should stay at home for at least 7 days.

If you live with other people, they should stay at home for at least 14 days, to avoid spreading the infection outside the home. After 14 days, anyone you live with who does not have symptoms can return to their normal routine. But, if anyone in your home gets symptoms, they should stay at home for 7 days from the day their symptoms start. Even if it means they're at home for longer than 14 days. If you live with someone who is 70 or over, has a long-term condition, is pregnant or has a weakened immune system, try to find somewhere else for them to stay for 14 days. If you have to stay at home together, try to keep away from each other as much as possible. After 7 days, if you no longer have a high temperature you can return to your normal routine. If you still have a high temperature, stay at home until your temperature returns to normal. If you still have a cough after 7 days, but your temperature is normal, you do not need to continue staying at home. A cough can last for several weeks after the infection has gone.

Staying at home means you should: not go to work, school or public areas

not use public transport or taxis

not have visitors, such as friends and family, in your home

not go out to buy food or collect medicine – order them by phone or online, or ask someone else to drop them off at your home You can use your garden, if you have one. You can also leave the house to exercise – but stay at least 2 metres away from other people. If you have symptoms of coronavirus, use the NHS 111 coronavirus service to find out what to do. Source: NHS England on 23 March 2020

The bulk of the passengers who travelled in March were flying back to their home countries owing to the Covid-19 outbreak. Last month the UK foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, announced that the government would spend £75m to rescue hundreds of thousands of British nationals stranded abroad as airlines suspended flights and grounded planes.

Heathrow said the remaining passenger flights in April would also be part of repatriation efforts, for UK citizens returning home and for foreign citizens en route to their homes.

Destinations and arrivals on the departure board on Tuesday included Manchester, Doha, New York and Frankfurt – operated by airlines such as British Airways, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways and United Airlines.

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Heathrow said it was prioritising cargo flights transporting medical supplies, including ventilators, medicines and Covid-19 testing kits.

Some airlines have had to reroute to the airport during the outbreak. The Glasgow-based Loganair flew to Heathrow for the first time in its 58-year history after the closure of London City airport and will continue to do so in order to maintain a “vital connection” between London and the Isle of Man. Heathrow is also Britain’s only remaining air link with Belfast during the pandemic.

Heathrow’s chief executive, John Holland-Kaye, said: “Heathrow continues to serve the nation by keeping vital supply lines open and helping people get home. Now is the time to agree a common international standard for healthcare screening in airports so that when this crisis recedes, people can travel with confidence and we can get the British economy moving again.”