BAA issues warning over Heathrow capacity
Airports operator BAA warned that Heathrow is losing its competitive edge as it revealed its latest passenger numbers.
Heathrow’s load factors rose 0.1 percentage points in April, to 76.4%, while the average number of seats per aircraft was also up, rising 1.1% to 197.6.
Passenger numbers were marginally up at 5.8 million.
BAA said the increases are consistent with the airport having reached its cap on the number of flights.
Chief executive Colin Matthews said the modest growth was coming from larger and fuller aircraft, not from more routes and frequencies to emerging markets.
"This lack of connectivity is damaging the UK economy," he said.
Overall, 9.1 million passengers travelled through BAA’s airports in April, a 0.1% increase on the same month last year.
Year-on-year comparisons for the month were complicated by the timing of Easter so combining March and April traffic reveals a year on year increase of 1.9%.
The decline in Stansted’s passenger numbers moderated to 2.7%, its lowest level in nearly a year.
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.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps