Heathrow Airport stated a decrease of 90,000 passengers on affected routes due to a new government scheme requiring a £10 fee per person.
Management described the electronic travel authorisation (ETA) system, implemented by the Conservative government in November 2023, as harmful to the hub’s competitiveness.
The digital permits are mandatory for citizens of seven Middle Eastern countries without a visa or legal residency who wish to enter or transit through the UK.
The £10 charge is applicable to all affected travelers, including minors.
The initiative is set to expand to travelers from most other countries this fall.
However, Heathrow has called on the new Labour government to revise the scheme for the benefit of the entire UK economy.
In a statement, they said: “The latest data post-ETA introduction shows a loss of 90,000 transfer passengers on routes to and from the seven countries included in the scheme since 2023.
“This significantly hampers our hub’s competitiveness. We urge the government to reassess the inclusion of airside transit passengers.
“Every improvement in competitiveness by the government will contribute to essential growth for the entirety of the UK economy.”
ETAs currently affect non-visa nationals of Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan.
They will be enforced for travelers from most other countries later this year and for European nationals starting early next year.
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These developments coincided with Heathrow reporting nearly eight million passengers in July, solidifying its status as Europe’s busiest airport in the first six months of the year.
Executives also mentioned that the west London airport experienced no significant disruptions to flights due to issues like the global IT outage or Just Stop Oil protests.
In the past month, the airport announced a 2.9% reduction in half-year revenues but still managed to achieve an underlying profit of £178m, a significant increase from a £139m loss the previous year.
A Home Office spokesperson stated, “We are implementing ETAs to bolster border security and streamline the traveler experience.
“The government is consistently reviewing the necessity for transit passengers to acquire an ETA.”