Heathrow airport says it is exploring the option of implementing a new £5 charge for vehicles entering the forecourts of all its terminals “to prevent a car-led airport recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic”.
The airport says it has seen an 80 per cent drop in passengers and says the charge, which could come into force from Q4 2021, would help it stem some of the £1.5 billion losses it has sustained during the crisis.
Heathrow says it expects fewer cars on the road due to reduced passenger demand.
The charge, expected to be around £5, would replace plans for the Heathrow Ultra Low Emissions Zone (HULEZ) that was announced in May 2019, although it did not rule out future emissions reductions schemes.
It said it had begun a consultation with stakeholders around the details of the proposal.
Heathrow director of surface access Tony Caccavone said: “The impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic have been severe, especially on the aviation industry with Heathrow passenger numbers down over 80 per cent and the business losing £5m a day.
“These changes will help us to protect the business financially and save jobs in the short term, whilst also allowing us to stay on track for our long-term goals of providing safe, sustainable and affordable transport options into the future.”
Similar access charges are already in place at eight out of the ten largest UK airports including Manchester, Stansted and Birmingham, while Gatwick and Glasgow have recently announced similar charges.