As the airport recovers from the pandemic, MARK LYONS details its efforts to build a supportive bus network for staff and passengers
Heathrow is the UK’s hub airport and is Europe’s main gateway to many parts of the world, including to the USA and southern Africa. Passenger numbers are now close to their pre-Covid levels - 7,553,785 passengers travelled on 39,905 flights in August 2023, compared to 7,680,327 passengers on 41,952 flights in August 2019.
The airport operator is still reporting a financial loss, but that hasn’t stopped Heathrow from investing in a significant number of bus and coach improvements as the traffic grows back following the pandemic.
Heathrow is the largest single-site employer in the UK. More than 76,000 people work at the airport – and many more nearby. In total, Heathrow supports over 110,000 local jobs.
In 2019, nearly 30% of Heathrow's originating/terminating passengers used the bus or coach to travel to and from the airport, with around 20% of staff commuting by bus or coach.
The airport is a major bus and coach hub, with operators drawn by a combination of its easy access to the motorway network for longer distance services and a strong network of local feeder routes.
