UK’s airports paid GBP6b in dividends over past decade

Investors in the UK’s busiest airports received GBP6.7b in dividends in the past decade even as those airports issued billions of pounds in debt, research by the Financial Times has shown. The scale of the dividends has provoked criticism from some in the aviation industry given airports are imposing high landing charges on airlines — which are passed on to customers through air fares — and are preparing to invest in expensive new runways and terminal buildings. Tim Alderslade, CE of Airlines UK, said airports were “skimming off millions in dividends”, while “airlines — many of whom are operating in the red — expect airports to keep landing charges down”. Dividend payments have already sparked tensions between airports and airlines. <br/>