US-to-UK flights expected to increase 31% by July

At some point I want to know how many more planes the sky can handle. I don’t even mean it from the perspective of the environment. I mean how many planes can we fit without sacrificing safety?

On March 30, the Open-Skies Agreement goes into effect. It will finally allow airlines based in the United States and Europe to fly across the Atlantic between any two airports in each region, NY Times reports. Before the pact, trans-Atlantic flights were governed by separate agreements between the United States and individual European nations. For example, the agreement required airlines to take off or land in their native countries, and limited which airlines could serve certain airports.

That is about to change. For the first time, the open market will dictate all trans-Atlantic routes between the United States and Europe and for example, Continental, Delta and Northwest will be able to serve Heathrow for the first time. According to OAG Back Aviation Solutions, flights from the United States to Heathrow are expected to increase 31 percent, to 2,932 flights in July from 2,233 this month. Heathrow is congested and chaotic as it is. No wonder, there are constant protests about expanding the airport. There has got to be such thing as “too many planes.”