London Heathrow airport has posted data for September which shows a weaker recovery than its continental rivals, with passenger numbers below 40% of their pre-pandemic levels. The results stand in contrast to that of many European airports that have enjoyed a "stronger resurgence over summer", notes Heathrow. North American traffic at the UK hub was just a quarter of 2019's levels, it says. Meanwhile, cargo volume was down 8% on September 2019, "reflecting the way in which travel restrictions have been damaging UK exports and supply chains". The airport adds that the easing of testing requirements and the reduction in the red list will make travel "simpler, cheaper and less stressful for all passengers". It is optimistic that these changes, and the forthcoming reopening of the USA to fully vaccinated passengers, will provide a boost to travel figures over school half-term holidays and Christmas. Further data shows that 2.57 million passengers passed through the airport in September, more than double the level of last year. However, between October 2020 and September 2021 just 13.3 million passengers used Heathrow, 66% fewer than a year earlier. For cargo, in the October 2020 to September 2021 period the airport processed 1.34 million metric tonnes of freight, an 11% increase on the same period in 2019-20.

Airbus reports that during September it delivered 40 aircraft to 25 customers, hitting the exact same mark as in August, while generating only one order that month from an undisclosed customer for an A319neo. This reflects a declining rate of deliveries for the European airframer, slowing from deliveries of 77 aircraft during June to 47 in July and 40 deliveries for both August and September. During 2021, Airbus has delivered a total of 424 aircraft to 74 customers. It has also logged 133 net orders for aircraft following cancellations of 137 aircraft orders. Orders have been inconsistent this year for Airbus, which received 102 orders in August following just two orders during July. The aircraft type ordered most often from Airbus during 2021 is the A321neo with 153 orders following 42 cancellations. United Airlines ordered 70 A321neos during June, marking the largest single aircraft order for Airbus during 2021. During September, Airbus also delivered more A321neos than any other aircraft, reporting 20 deliveries to customers including Sichuan Airlines, Frontier Airlines, and British Airways.

British Airways is resuming services and increasing frequencies to a number of destinations that are being removed from the UK government's Covid travel red list, which require passengers to enter quarantine on arrival. The Oneworld carrier says it will restart services to South Africa's capital Cape Town in November, initially operating three flights a week and then moving to a double daily service in December. The carrier also plans to offer daily services to Johannesburg by mid-December, it says. IAG-owned BA will restart flights to Mexico's Cancun from 22 October, offering daily services, while services to Mexico City will also be increasing to five per week from 6 November. Elsewhere, South American destinations Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires are set to return in time for Christmas, the airline says. Chairman and chief executive Sean Doyle states: "Once we have a firm date for the reopening of USA borders in November, we look forward to reconnecting our two countries, reigniting transatlantic businesses and reuniting families who have been separated for the best part of two years." The airline plans to increase flights to the USA from early November despite no firm date from government on the reopening of the country. BA plans to bring back its Airbus A380s to operate some of these services.