BAA fined for poor service at Heathrow and Gatwick
BAA has been forced to pay out £7.34m in rebates to airlines after failing to meet standards at London Heathrow and Gatwick airports.
The Civil Aviation Authority has called on both airports to explain why targets were missed in the six months from April to September 2008, and what the plans and timescales are for meeting the targets in the future.
But the CAA stressed that service quality at Heathrow and Gatwick has improved over the past six months, since it imposed a tougher regime.
It said security queuing times have improved markedly at both airports since 2007, while improvements have also been seen in cleanliness and pier service in most terminals.
“The improvements in service quality, particularly reductions in the time spent in security queues, have benefited passengers,” said Dr Harry Bush, group director for the CAA’s Economic Regulation Group.
“However, as the improvements have not been consistent across all services at all terminals, I have written to the airports’ managing directors asking them how they plan to improve the services that have persistently failed to meet the CAA’s higher standards, which include seating and pier service at some terminals at Heathrow and Gatwick, and cleanliness and wayfinding in one Gatwick terminal.
“It is important that BAA provides assurance to passengers that it is going to do better.”
The CAA is planning to audit the measurement of the service quality schemes in early 2009, to reassure stakeholders that performance is reported accurately.
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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