Virgin labels Heathrow head ‘Lord Doom’ over cautious outlook

Virgin Atlantic Airways CEO Shai Weiss labeled his counterpart at London Heathrow airport “lord doom” over his suggestion that a recovery in UK travel may take until the end of next year. Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye’s prediction that it will be 12 to 18 months before the aviation industry fully recovers capacity is “just ridiculous” and amounts to a “cynical” attempt to justify a hike in the hub’s fees, Weiss said Wednesday. Virgin Atlantic’s passenger capacity will be at 102% of 2019 levels by the fourth quarter, with full-year revenue likely to reach 90% of the pre-pandemic total, Weiss said. While inflationary pressures and higher household bills may be a factor in limiting growth, he said the carrier still expects to post a profit next year, in line with previous forecasts. “Who talks down their own book?” Weiss said of Holland-Kaye’s comments at a Financial Times conference Tuesday, where he reiterated an earlier prediction that a summer boom may not be sustained. “There will be families and business people looking at this and asking if they really need to travel. I was so surprised to read the headlines. It’s nothing that we’ve ever talked about with them.” The hub is lobbying the aviation regulator to allow it to raise fees to around GBP42 per passenger—more than an earlier Civil Aviation Authority proposal—while airlines want to limit increases.<br/>