Heathrow Airport has initiated a trial of pre-booked security slots for departing passengers to improve queue times and provide passengers with peace of mind.
The six-month trial initially involves passengers traveling with American Airlines, Delta, Emirates, and Virgin Atlantic from Terminal 3. Additional carriers may be added during the trial period. Eligible customers can reserve their slot free of charge by visiting a provided link and receiving a QR code. Upon arrival, passengers can present the QR code at the dedicated Heathrow Timeslot area for scanning. Passengers have a 15-minute window before or after their scheduled time to arrive.
Heathrow Airport claims to be one of the first airports in England to offer this system, with Manchester Airport launching similar trials in 2020. Amsterdam Schiphol also conducted a pilot program for pre-booked security slots earlier this year, successfully extending it to all destinations. The trial outcomes at Heathrow will determine the potential extension or rollout to other terminals.
Heathrow Airport highlights its commitment to passenger satisfaction, stating that security processes have consistently been completed in less than five minutes during the summer, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. This achievement reflects the investments made by the airport, airlines, and ground handlers in recruiting and training over 25,000 new colleagues in the past two years.
Mark Powell, the operational planning director at Heathrow said “this new trial will give passengers that extra added bit of certainty and reassurance ahead of their journey and we think it will be particularly popular for those with families or nervous travellers who may want a bit more confidence in their journeys.”
Heathrow looks forward to analysing the trial data to determine how they can expand this service across the airport.
