A top boss at the UK's largest airport has stated that staffing numbers are at the same level as pre-pandemic levels despite accusations it is struggling to cope. But Heathrow Airport chief of staff Nigel Milton said fares would have to rise and wages hiked to attract more staff.
Mr Milton warned the disruption to flights could run through to next summer, saying: “We could face a lot of problems in the next 12 months.” He said Heathrow had been prepared for the return of passengers after the Covid travel lockdown even though there have been reports of long security queues, flight cancellations and baggage issues.
The Heathrow chief said: "First things first, Heathrow is a well-run airport and we have prepared for the summer peak. We started recruiting back in November last year before Omicron hit the UK. We now have as much security capacity as we had in 2019.
