UK: Heathrow slashes passenger charges on domestic flights in bid for expansion

Heathrow has slashed the airport charges for passengers on internal routes, as it expands with a new runway while positioning itself as a domestic flight hub. The discount has been increased by 50%, and passengers will pay GBP15 less when flying between UK airports. It will save fliers GBP40m a year, and Heathrow has committed to keeping it for 20 years, at a cost of more than GBP750m. The airport said this saving was part of a raft of measures designed to support the creation of more domestic flights, making the routes more commercially viable for airlines. Heathrow already has flights to eight cities in the UK, and easyJet and Flybe have suggested they will add more to destinations such as Liverpool and Newquay. It is aiming to have 14 domestic connections when the airport expands in 2025. The airport has also created a £10m fund to provide capital for five new domestic routes. John Holland-Kaye, Heathrow’s CE, said: “Every corner of our country should be able to benefit from the growth and trade that stems from links to the nation’s hub airport – that’s why Heathrow is making it cheaper to fly within the UK.” Heathrow is also campaigning for the abolition of air passenger duty on domestic flights, which would save passengers a total of GBP225m a year, and is lobbying the Government to use new powers created when the UK leaves the EU to ring-fence slots for domestic flights.<br/>