A planned fee increase has been prohibited at London Heathrow Airport. The airport planned to raise the passenger fee as of January 1, 2022 from 22 pounds to 43 pounds. The aviation authority caps the fee for the next five years between 24,50 and 34,30 pounds.

It will be more expensive, however, as Heathrow has provisionally been promised a fee of 2022 pounds per passenger for the year 30. The civil aviation authority CAA stated in its statement that the airport had lost two billion pounds last year due to the pandemic. They wanted to keep the fees as low as possible, but the amount that Heathrow had envisaged could not have been approved.

The head of the largest customer, International Airlines Group, was quick to speak up: “International connectivity is vital to the UK's economic recovery. The airline industry supports 1,5 million jobs in the UK, which is 4,5 percent of the UK's GDP. Heathrow is already the world's most expensive hub airport. The disproportionate increase compared to other European hubs will undermine its competitiveness even further and UK consumers will be losers. A more cost-effective Heathrow would benefit travelers, businesses and the UK economy at large. Airport charges must be competitive if Global Britain is to become a reality. We will participate in the consultation with the regulator to ensure that aviation can play its part and to stand up for UK consumers against the interests of Heathrow shareholders, ”said Luis Gallego.