Heathrow passenger numbers continue to plummet below pre-coronavirus crisis levels, with a loss of more than 6 million passengers in May it was announced on Friday.

Between June 2020 and May 2021, the number of terminal passenger numbers in the UK dropped 79.3%.

Numbers continued to plunge in the first five months of the year, falling another 70.3% to 555 UK-based passengers, City AM reports.

The largest drop in numbers stemmed from passengers from North America, with a fall of 94.2% from June 2020 to May this year.

In 2021, between January and May, Heathrow Airport registered a 91.2% decline in passengers from North America, flying just 543 people over the period.

Heathrow’s adjusted earnings for this year are forecast to rise 23% to £332 million, despite the drop in passengers compared to last year.

The airport ended the fiscal year with around £5 billion in cash due to the cost cutting initiatives undertaken last year, according to a statement released on Friday.

Earlier in the week, “the CEOs of American Airlines, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic and Heathrow Airport joined forces to stress the need to safely reopen the transatlantic corridor”, according to a press release issued by Heathrow on Friday, as falling passenger numbers continue into 2021.

Heathrow CEO, John Holland-Kaye said: “With the G7 starting today, ministers have a chance to kickstart the green global recovery by agreeing how to resume international travel safely and setting a mandate for sustainable aviation fuels that will decarbonise aviation.  This is the time for them to show global leadership.”

The statement added: “G7 leaders must seize the opportunity to join forces and tackle one of the biggest challenges facing our generation, climate change.”