If you’ve wondered who is on the smattering of planes still flying over London, the answer is simple — apart from the flight crew, probably no one.
Heathrow bosses today told the Evening Standard that it has moved to become a largely freight-only operation, helping the national cause to bring in emergency equipment and medicines for the NHS to fight coronavirus.
The airport increased its freight-only flights six-fold since the pandemic hit the UK, with 360 last week alone. Yesterday it flew 70 freight-only flights.
Cargoes have mostly included PPE and ventilators from Shanghai, Turkey, Hong Kong and beyond, flown in by largely UK airlines. They do not include the delayed Turkish shipment featured in recent headlines. That was flown in by an RAF carrier to Brize Norton.
Heathrow chief operations officer Emma Gilthorpe said the figures proved the airport was right to shun calls to close in order to halt the spread of the disease from overseas visitors.
Heathrow is only using one runway and two terminals and has slashed pay.
Getting home Brits stranded abroad was another key reason to keep the airport open, Gilthorpe said. Last week saw 50 repatriation flights.
Responding to criticisms Heathrow had not been giving incoming passengers temperature checks for the virus. Gilthorpe said: “We comply with Government policy and the Government follows a scientific and evidence-based approach to the measures it adopts. The closure of borders and temperature checks at airports are not deemed to be effective measures.”
UK advice differs from many overseas airports, particularly in Asian countries more used to dealing with pandemics.
@ArmitageJim
