Flights still going in lockdown - who and why?

[sidekickdmr]

Here I am sat at home working, wishing for some winter sun, but obviously not allowed.

Yet I look at flight radar app, or the heathrow departure board and its like BAU, flights leaving every minute to Dubai, New York, Shanghai etc and I just dont understand why?

https://www.heathrow.com/departures



Are they empty but have to fly anyway? Are they people traveling for business?

I can go on sky-scanner right now and book a flight for tomorrow to anywhere, Spain, Germany, UAE etc, but im not allowed to travel.

Anyone working at the airports able to confirm how busy they are, and why?

I'm not looking to travel by the way, It's a lockdown for a reason and im staying put, just confused as in here in rural devon in a little bubble and no idea how the outside world is working at the moment

[sidekickdmr]

I get the hold will have some fright, and i get that some essential travel still exists, i guess I'm asking 2 questions:

1. Why the airlines are even bothering if there is only 4 people on the place

2. I can book a flight to Dubai for tomorrow, what checks if any do they do on it being 'essential' or is it self policed?

[sidekickdmr]

How about the actual airports, is heathrow fully open? From pints at breakfast, to big ben clocks from the tat shop? Must be a ghost town if only 10% of flights