Heathrow passengers down by 97% in April as arrivals set to be quarantined 'soon'

Heathrow's monthly passenger numbers fell to as many as would normally travel in a single day (Picture: Reuters)

Heathrow’s passenger numbers fell by 97 per cent in April compared with the same month in 2019.

The airport announced that it was used by just 206,000 travellers last month, which is “the same number it would typically serve in just one day”.

The coronavirus pandemic has led to a collapse in demand for flights.

Many of the passengers who did travel through Heathrow last month were on board the 218 chartered repatriation flights that landed at the west London airport.

Heathrow is expecting demand to “remain weak” until countries lift their coronavirus lockdowns.

(PA)

It comes after the Prime Minister said it will “soon be the time” to bring in a period of quarantine in order to stave off Covid-19 infection from abroad.

Addressing the nation on Sunday night, Boris Johnson said: “To prevent reinfection from abroad, I am serving notice that it will soon be the time, with transmission significantly lower, to impose quarantine on people coming into this country by air."

The measures will not apply between the UK and France 'at this stage' (Getty Images)

Mr Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron have agreed quarantine measures would not apply between France and the UK “at this stage”, according to a joint statement.

It has also been reported that Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man will be exempt from the quarantine period as well.

The exact length of the quarantine has not been confirmed.