Heathrow welcomed just 228,000 passengers in May, down 97 per cent on the figure seen last year and an all-time-low.

In response, the airport said it would it be forced to lay off a number of staff.

Officials said the airport had begun to restructure its frontline roles, having already cut a third of managerial positions.

Heathrow chief executive, John Holland-Kaye, explained: “Throughout this crisis, we have tried to protect front line jobs, but this is no longer sustainable, and we have now agreed a voluntary severance scheme with our union partners.

“While we cannot rule out further job reductions, we will continue to explore options to minimise the number of job losses.”

Heathrow is currently running out of two terminals and one runway, as demand for travel flatlines in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Completing the “grim picture,” Heathrow said the new quarantine policy for UK arrivals launched earlier this week would further hit demand.

In response, the airport is urging the government to establish ‘air bridges’ to low-risk countries that will enable the country to “restart its economy in earnest”.

Last month, Heathrow began trialling thermal screening technology in the immigration hall of terminal two and the check in area in terminal five.

These trials are part of a wider programme looking at how technology could reduce the risk of contracting or transmitting Covid-19 when travelling and in future could help create a common international standard for health screening.