Heathrow has been hit with a £2bn loss as the Covid-19 pandemic has caused havoc on travel and borders.

The number of passengers who passed through the airport last year slumped by 73% to 22.1m last year, which is the lowest number since 1975.

Heathrow’s chief executive, John Holland-Kaye, remained positive following the prime minister’s road map and was sure that people would be going on summer holidays this year.

He said on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “For the aviation sector we can start to plan ahead for 17 May to make sure we’ve got the people and the planes in place so that we can not just get people on their holidays but also get British businesses moving again.”

Airline and travel companies saw a surge of bookings after the announcement and also saw shares grow on Tuesday.

Heathrow has cut 1,000 jobs over the year and has hopes that Rishi Sunak will continue 100% business rates relief and an extend the furlough scheme.

Holland-Kaye said: “Despite £2bn of losses and shrinking to passenger levels we haven’t seen since the 70s, I am hugely proud of the way that our colleagues have kept our passengers safe and the UK’s hub airport open for vital supplies throughout.

“We can be hopeful for 2021, with Britain on the cusp of becoming the first country in the world to safely resume international travel and trade at scale.

“Getting aviation moving again will save thousands of jobs and reinvigorate the economy, and Heathrow will be working with the Global Travel Taskforce to develop a robust plan underpinned by science and backed by industry,” he added.