Loss-making Heathrow rules out 2022 dividend even as passenger numbers improve

Heathrow, the London hub that has capped flight numbers after struggling to cope with a rebound in travel, said it remained loss making and would not forecast a dividend in 2022.

The airport said its first-half adjusted loss before tax reduced by 466 million pounds ($562 million) to 321 million pounds as a result of higher passenger numbers, and said it was still struggling with a lack of ground handlers.

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Earlier this month, Heathrow hadapologized for the long queues and baggage issues customers had endured in recent weeks, blaming staff shortages across the whole aviation sector.

The LOndon hub also said it would cap the number of departing passengers at 100,000 a day this summer to try to limit traveler disruption as it struggles to cope with a rebound in demand.

Airlines at Britain's busiest airport have already responded to a government appeal to cut capacity but Heathrow said it needed them to go further.

It said airlines, baggage handlers and the airport could collectively serve 100,000 departing passengers, a number that had regularly been exceeded in recent weeks resulting in unacceptable levels of service.

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Unable to cope, Heathrow airport caps departing passengers at 100,000 a day