"Heathrow Airport cracks down on late passengers"

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Passengers at Heathrow face zero tolerance 
By Simon Calder
United Kingdom - The Independent

 
Passengers at Heathrow airport's glittering new terminal, which opens three
months from today, will face a tough new zero-tolerance policy: be in the
queue for security at least 35 minutes before the flight or count as a "no
show".

British Airways, the sole tenant at Terminal 5, is seeking to improve its
woeful punctuality. Even without the kind of disruption seen at Heathrow and
Gatwick before Christmas, BA's operations routinely fail the airline's own
modest targets. For the week ending 16 December, fewer than one in three
flights departed on time, compared with a target of 52 per cent.

It is believed to be the first time, at any airport, that an airline has
taken such a hard line on passengers who have already checked in. The only
exception to the 35-minute rule will be travellers on standby, who get an
extra five minutes' grace to allow for the fact that their seats are
assigned only after check-in formally closes at "minus 45".


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