Heathrow has clashed with the Civil Aviation Authority after the regulator rejected a proposal by the airport to raise charges by £2.6 billion to recover losses caused by the pandemic.
Paul Smith, director at the authority, said that the scale of Heathrow’s demand was “disproportionate and not in the interests of consumers”.
Instead, the regulator has allowed the London airport to recoup £300 million from higher landing fees, which the authority estimated would amount to about 30p per passenger. Landing fees for airlines at Heathrow are £21.08 per passenger and the increase is expected to be passed on to travellers.
Heathrow claimed that the regulator had “failed to deliver”. The authority was also criticised by International Airlines Group, the owner of British Airways, for allowing