London Luton Airport reports 82% drop in passenger count in October

London Luton Airport (LLA) in the UK has reported an 82% fall in passengers that travelled through the airport in October, as against the same period last year.

The airport welcomed around 297,000 passengers in October.

It now expects passenger numbers in November to fall by more than 95%.

The airport stated that it will remain operational for essential travel as it was during the first lockdown.

To protect the health of passengers and staff, the airport claimed that it has taken up enhanced measures, including enhanced cleaning and sanitisation, the installation of hand sanitiser units across the airport and the use of protective screens at customer touch points.

LLA is claimed to have been the first airport in the country to be awarded the Airport Health Accreditation from Airports Council International (ACI) for achieving global industry standards and best practice.

The airport has also urged for direct financial support for the badly impacted aviation sector due to the pandemic, as England enters a period of tougher coronavirus restrictions.

The airport has also urged for a testing system to be in place by 2 December to coincide with the end of the present lockdown period.

This is to help people travel again by minimising the requirement for arriving passengers to quarantine. The request is in line with an agreed international framework to offer the essential consistency for passengers leaving the country, the airport stated.