14 July 2023 , 13:24
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A popular ITV reality show has been scrapped after being on the air for nearly eight years.
The broadcaster confirmed on Friday that Heathrow: Britain's Busiest Airport would not return for a ninth series, much to the devastation of its loyal viewers.
It remains unknown why the documentary series, which followed the trials and tribulations at the bustling London travel hub, has been cancelled but its viewing figures have seen a fall in recent series.
The last episode of Heathrow: Britain's Busiest Airport, which was created by Raw TV, aired on 24 August 2022. Its finale gave viewers an insight into the last super ever jumbo plane and showed the fascinating process of its Terminal 3 runway getting a sparkling makeover.
Other episodes of the eighth series explored the impact of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee on the aviation industry, the detention of a passenger suspected of carrying firearms and how Storm Eunice affected the airport's daily operations. AWOL passengers, unauthorized pets and missing luggage are also common issues to feature in the show.
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ITV has cancelled Heathrow: Britain's Busiest Airport (ITV)It was narrated by several British icons, including Julie Walters and Joanna Lumley, during its time on air and quickly earned a dedicated following of aviation and travel enthusiasts.
However, the latest series of Heathrow: Britain's Busiest Airport failed to pull in the high ratings the show once enjoyed. Audience numbers for its eighth series totalled at 1.5 million, which is more than half of the 3.3 million that tuned in the previous year. Since its premiere in 2015, 53 episodes of the show have been produced.
Unsurprisingly, Britain's Busiest Airport was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Filming for its seventh series was severely affected by lockdown, with producers shooting the second half of the season a full year ahead of the first half.
The series aired on ITV (PA)The programme has been praised multiple times by fans, many of whom have taken to its official Instagram page to offer positive feedback.
"Thank you for the brilliant programme !! All the best in the future to one and all!" one person wrote.
"Really enjoyed the series - especially liked the last episode featuring some of the Heathrow Engineering team and the important work they do which is mainly behind the scenes at Heathrow to keep the airport running," another impressed viewer commented. "The public don’t normally get to see them so it was nice for them to be featured."
Heathrow Airport handled over 60 million passengers in 2022, up from 19.4 million recorded in the previous year, and employs over 76,000 people. It flies to over 200 destinations and has four terminals, with an average of 560 flights arriving or departing daily.
Series six, seven and eight of Heathrow: Britain's Busiest Airport are available to watch now on ITVX.