Holland-Kaye warned the UK was falling behind its EU rivals with regards to international trade, despite passenger demand increasing – albeit from "historic lows".
Fewer than four million people travelled through Heathrow during the first six months of the year, a figure Heathrow would have achieved in just 18 days pre-pandemic.
Heathrow chief executive Holland-Kaye said it was vital the government changed tack on testing, and embraced cheaper, quicker lateral flow tests for travel.
He also called for a further opening of travel between the EU and the US by the end of the month, particularly to fully vaccinated travellers.
On Monday (26 July), Heathrow revealed cumulative losses from Covid-19 had grown to £2.9 billion, and posted an adjusted pre-tax first-half (six months to 30 June) loss of £787 million, compared with a £471 million loss during the same period last year.
The airport said it had cut cash burn by more than half compared with H1 2019 thanks to a 35% reduction in operating costs and 77% cut in capital expenditure.
And thanks to measures to boost liquidity to nearly £5 billion since the start of the pandemic, Heathrow said it had cash to "meet all commitments until October 2022" even in the event of an "extreme no revenue scenario".
’Falling behind’
On traffic, Heathrow warned 2021 could end up being a tougher year than 2020: "Recent changes to the government’s traffic light system are encouraging, but expensive testing requirements and travel restrictions are holding back the UK’s economic recovery and could see Heathrow welcome fewer passengers in 2021 than in 2020."
The airport also called for financial support to be available "as long as restrictions remain on travel". "Travel is now the only sector still facing restrictions, and for as long as it does, ministers should provide financial support including an extension to the furlough scheme and business rates relief."
Holland-Kaye added: "The UK is emerging from the worst effects of the health pandemic, but is falling behind its EU rivals in international trade by being slow to remove restrictions. Replacing PCR tests with lateral flow tests and opening up to EU and US vaccinated travellers at the end of July will start to get Britain’s economic recovery off the ground."
