Heathrow asks airlines to stop selling summer flights as it caps passengers

The airport has asked airlines to stop selling summer tickets as it struggles to cope with the surge in demand.

There have been chaotic scenes at airports in recent weeks, with airlines having to cancel hundreds of flights.

Over the past few weeks, we have started to see periods when service drops to a level that is not acceptable: long queue times, delays for passengers requiring assistance, bags not travelling with passengers or arriving late.

Some airlines have taken action, but others have not, and we think more action is needed to make sure passengers have a safe and reliable journey. There will be a capacity cap in place from July to September. Measures to control passenger demand have been put in place at other airports.

The airport wants airlines to stop selling tickets during the summer.