Heathrow Airport has said it has recorded its busiest month since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

The west London hub said it was used by 4.2m passengers in March – representing almost an eight-fold increase on the total during the same month in 2021.

In February 2020, just before the pandemic caused people to stay at home, it was used by 5.4m.

Demand was driven by outbound leisure travel at weekends and during school holidays, the airport said.

A spike in coronavirus-related staff absences, combined with difficulties finding and passing security checks for new recruits, means the aviation sector has struggled to cope with the number of people flying in recent weeks.

Photo Marcel van Leeuwen