US Ambassador highlights special security relationship at Heathrow
Courtesy Heathrow Airport
US Ambassador to the UK, Woody Johnson (above, centre), praised Heathrow as the gateway underpinning the special relationship between the countries on a visit to the airport yesterday. Getting a behind-the-scenes look at how Heathrow operates at 99% capacity, Ambassador Johnson commended Heathrow’s joint work with US security authorities to keep transatlantic skies safe.
On behalf of the US government, Ambassador Johnson also delivered a personal thank you to airport colleagues in their efforts to keep the travelling public safe. He noted particularly Heathrow’s role at the forefront of aviation security – working across borders to share knowledge, intelligence and scientific data to protect the public both in the UK and internationally. For many passengers travelling from the US, Heathrow is an important gateway to many European and global destinations. By sharing intelligence and mitigating threats together with US authorities, the airport strengthens the global aviation security network and protects a countless number of people across the globe.
Ambassador Johnson also celebrated Heathrow’s role as the key gateway connecting the UK to the US – enabling the special relationship to move beyond just foreign policy but also closely connected economies. Last year, over 18 million passengers and over £31 billion of trade travelled between the US and Britain’s hub airport, making the US one of the biggest markets that Heathrow serves. Having recently added Nashville, Charleston and Pittsburgh to the impressive line-up of routes, Heathrow now links to a total of 28 cities in the US – the best airport for travel and trade between the US and the UK.
Since the 20th May 2019, US citizens are also now able to use the ePassport gates when arriving at Heathrow. Alongside arriving British passengers, millions of American now benefit from a streamlined immigration experience when travelling through the UK’s hub airport.
Heathrow CEO John Holland Kaye said: “There is no other strategic partnership in the world as strong as the special relationship between the United States and the UK. Heathrow is living proof that these aren’t just warm words – we serve more US destinations than any other airport in Europe keeping trade between our countries growing and we work incredibly closely with our security colleagues in the US to keep the skies safe. We’re delighted to welcome Ambassador Johnson today and extremely grateful for the US government’s recognition of the hard work our colleagues deliver every day to keep our passengers safe.”
Ambassador Johnson said: “The level of security cooperation between the United States and the UK is simply on another level at Heathrow. Talented British and American officers are working here, side by side, every day to protect passengers from around the world. The work being done here truly sets the benchmark for global aviation security and passenger experience.
“Heathrow is an unbelievably important airport for the United States. More people fly to the U.S. from Heathrow than from any other airport in the world. And for millions of Americans, Heathrow is the gateway to the UK, Europe, and beyond.
“It was great to see the latest developments for Americans arriving at Heathrow – we can now use the e-gates to clear security. This is huge news and will further improve the already great Heathrow experience for the millions of Americans who come here each year.”
During the visit security teams from Heathrow and the US committed to maintaining a close relationship and enhancing global security further.
