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Heathrow hit by £2bn loss as airport calls for more Covid support

Passenger numbers slumped to 22.1m in 2020, the smallest annual total since 1975
Heathrow airport plunged to an annual £2bn loss in 2020 as the pandemic closed borders and the government restricted most international travel, underlining the impact of Covid-19 on aviation.
Britain’s largest airport said the number of passengers who passed through slumped to 22.1 million last year, more than half of whom travelled in January and February, a fall of 73% compared with a year earlier and the smallest annual total since 1975.
Cargo volumes also fell by 28% during 2020, although some dedicated cargo flights helped the airport to offset some of the lost passenger travel.
However, Heathrow’s chief executive, John Holland-Kaye, said he thought it was “very likely” that people would be able to go on summer holidays, following the prime minister’s plan to allow international travel to resume from 17 May, as part of the government’s roadmap out of lockdown.
“For the aviation sector we can start to plan ahead for 17 May to make sure we’ve got the people and the planes in place so that we can not just get people on their holidays but also get British businesses moving again,” Holland-Kaye told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Heathrow said it had acted quickly last year as coronavirus surged to cut its operating costs by slashing pay, closing one runway and two terminals, and raising money but warned that airports had very high fixed costs.
Heathrow complained that government policies had effectively closed borders but that it had received no government support other than furlough. It said it had not benefited from business rates relief, unlike other airports, as well as retail, hospitality and leisure businesses.
The airport is calling on the UK government to provide more support to the aviation sector in the March budget and is requesting 100% business rates relief, a further extension of the furlough scheme and a reversal of the tourist tax.
The company has warned that Britain’s economic recovery will be held back until long-haul passenger flights can restart, including to key markets such as the US.
Airlines and travel companies reported a surge in holiday bookings on Tuesday, after Boris Johnson’s announcement about England’s roadmap for the easing of coronavirus restrictions.
Companies including EasyJet, Ryanair, Tui and Thomas Cook said there had been a jump in bookings to destinations including Spain and Greece after the prime minister’s announcement, although this remains subject to review. The green light for international travel is also dependent on the continued success of the vaccination programme and no resurgence in coronavirus cases.
source: Joanna Partridge
Levant
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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