Airport Charges To Be Reduced In Shake-Up

Three London airports have been told to reduce the amount of money they charge airlines in take-off and landing fees.

The move by the aviation regulator should limit the fare rises imposed on passengers using Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)'s proposals will see airlines charged much less for using the airports between 2014 and 2019 than they were between 2009 and 2014.

The regulator said that over the period the charges should be capped at the RPI rate of inflation minus 1.3%.

This is significantly less than Heathrow's charges between 2009 and 2014, which were RPI plus 7.5%.

Heathrow's rise in profit was boosted by an increase in its airline fees

The airport's bosses had proposed an increase in fees from £19.33 per passenger in 2012/13 to as much as £27.30 in 2018/19.

It comes after Heathrow - which is controlled by Spain's Ferrovial - reported a 12% rise in profit in 2012 to £1.3bn - driven mostly by an increase in the fees it charges airlines.

But the CAA said it had "found clear evidence of substantial market power" at Heathrow and "after a decade when prices have risen ... is now looking to encourage further investment whilst improving value for passengers in other ways".

The regulator proposed a more flexible system for Gatwick, but said that if the airline did not make acceptable proposals itself, charges would be capped at RPI plus 1%.

This is lower than the RPI plus 2% regime that has been in place at the West Sussex airport between 2009 and 2014.

And at Stansted, the CAA said its regulation would take the form of monitoring charges and service quality - but would become stricter "unless prices at Stansted reduce over time".

Gatwick bosses said the CAA's proposals were "too demanding"

The chief executive of CAA, Andrew Haines, said protecting consumers was the "core focus" of the proposals.

"Few passengers flying from Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted fail to notice their differences, so it should be no surprise that our regulatory approach also differs at each airport," he said.

"The proposals we publish today reflect their individual circumstances, ensure passengers are protected when they travel, and allow for continuing improvements in service and competition."

But Heathrow bosses questioned whether the proposals were "a risk worth taking".

"To stay competitive with overseas hubs like Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt and Dubai, Heathrow has invested £11bn over the last 10 years ..."

"Over the same period returns to shareholders have fallen well below the level anticipated by the regulator," a company statement said.

British Airways' Willie Walsh said the proposals did not go far enough

"Our first impression is that a 5.35% return on capital will put passenger service at risk by not attracting the necessary investment in Heathrow for the short, medium and long term."

Gatwick said the suggested RPI plus 1% formula was "too demanding and based on unrealistic assumptions".

"The CAA must not hold us back through imposing heavy-handed regulation, red tape in the form of a licence and an inflexible price control, but should allow us to build on this success (of the last three years)," chief executive Stuart Wingate said.

Stansted said it would study the details of the CAA's plans before responding.

The proposals - to be finalised next year - were broadly welcomed by airlines, which have been arguing against what they see as excessive charges.

The Board of Airline Representatives - which represents 80 airlines - said it was encouraging that the CAA has listened to industry concerns over the need for a more flexible approach.

"We are cautiously optimistic that the final regulation will better meet the needs of consumers and the airline industry," chief executive Dale Keller said.

But Willie Walsh, the chief executive of British Airways parent company IAG, said the proposals did not go far enough.

"Heathrow airport is over-priced, over-rewarded and inefficient and these proposals, which will result in an increase in prices, fail to address this situation," he said.

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