UK: Row looms as regulator demands Heathrow hold charges flat

Plans for a new, third runway at Heathrow airport look set to become embroiled in deeper controversy over costs after the airports regulator said it expected charges to customers to hold steady during construction work. A statement from the Civil Aviation Authority appears to rule out any increases in charges while the runway is built. Heathrow has said only that it will hold prices steady “on average” up until 2048, but that they will rise in some years and fall in others. Airlines pay Heathrow GBP19.33 per departing passenger, which adds to the price of tickets. IAG, which is the biggest user of Heathrow, has warned that if the charge rises further, it will be uneconomic for many passengers. Airlines have demanded that Heathrow’s shareholders finance the GBP16.5b cost of building a third runway and that charges to users should not rise. <br/>