Airlines asks CAA to block rise in Heathrow fees
British Midland International (bmi) has called on the Civil Aviation Authority to block airport giant BAA’s plans to increase charges for domestic passengers at Heathrow.
The airline says the 50% rise discriminates against domestic passengers and will be damaging to the UK economy.
BAA recently announced that from next April, it will charge the same for domestic passengers as European passengers as part of an overhaul of its fees structure.
This will see the cost for each domestic passenger increase from £13.43 to £20.25, though fees for some other passengers such as those transferring between flights at Heathrow will fall.
Bmi said the increase was ‘unacceptable’ as domestic passengers don’t use the same airport facilities, such as customs and immigration channels as travellers taking international flights.
It has asked the Civil Aviation Authority to investigate BAA’s conduct which it said was ‘unreasonably discriminating against domestic operations’. The airline has informed the CAA it is preparing an action under section 41 of the Airport’s Act 1986, which gives the CAA powers to prevent discriminatory and anti-competitive behaviour by an airport.
In a statement, bmi chief executive officer Wolfgang Prock Schauer said: "It is clear that BAA is unfairly penalising domestic passengers at Heathrow and discriminating against airlines flying between Heathrow and Scotland and Northern Ireland.
“BAA is favouring long-haul airlines and neglecting the needs of local, UK airlines serving the domestic and Northern Ireland markets.
“BAA’s plans will cause huge inconvenience and higher costs for travellers and so we have written to the CAA to make it clear that we will be seeking legal remedies under the Airports Act 1986.
"Without doubt, these planned higher charges by BAA would damage the economic links between Heathrow and key regions across the UK."
Bmi has also written to politicians in Scotland and Northern Ireland to win support for its campaign against the increase and claimed it has received ‘enormous support’ on a political level and from the business community.
BAA has justified the increase, saying that the cost of handling domestic passengers was the same as for European passengers.
By Linsey McNeill
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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