## Heathrow Airport Expresses Concerns Over New Passenger Charge
Despite reporting a second consecutive month of record passenger traffic, London's Heathrow Airport has voiced concerns over a new £10 charge for visa-exempt passengers transiting through the hub.
The airport welcomed 6.7 million passengers in March, an 8% increase compared to the previous year. This brings the year-to-date figure to 18.5 million.
North American and European Union trips dominated the traffic, accounting for 1.6 million and 2.1 million passengers respectively. Notably, trips to the Asia Pacific region witnessed a significant 18% surge, reaching 892,000.
However, Heathrow's chief executive, Thomas Woldbye, urged the government to exempt airside transit passengers from the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme. He expressed concerns that the scheme could discourage passengers from spending and doing business in the UK, potentially benefiting other destinations instead.
The ETA requires passengers from certain countries arriving in Britain to pay a £10 fee and wait up to three days for an online permit, even if they are only connecting through the UK. This requirement applies even to passengers who do not pass through border control, making the UK an outlier compared to other countries.
The ETA was initially introduced for Qatari nationals in November. Since then, Heathrow has observed a decline of 19,000 Qatari passengers passing through the hub. The scheme was extended to Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan on February 1st, and the Home Office plans to implement it across the board.