Heathrow HQ ‘to be demolished’
British Airways’ headquarters is likely to be demolished to make way for Heathrow’s planned third runway, said Willie Walsh, boss of the airline’s parent IAG.
Speaking at the Airport Operators Association conference in London, Walsh said he only discovered the building, which opened in 1998 at a cost of £200 million, would be razed after looking at a map of the proposed new site.
He claimed no-one from Heathrow had officially informed BA of the proposal, even though IAG is the airport’s biggest customer.
Walsh was equally annoyed at the prospect of BA being forced to pay for the demolition through increased airport charges, which, he believes, will be levied on all airlines to foot the bill for the new runway.
IAG and British Airways are based at Waterside in Harmondsworth, where residents will also lose homes, which will be subject to compulsory purchase orders. They will receive 25% above market price as compenation, but Walsh said this cost would be passed on to the airlines.
The IAG boss accused Heathrow of failing to hold proper discussions with airlines about creating a cost-effective airport and expansion plan.
And he dismissed Heathrow’s claims that a new runway would enable airlines to offer links to more UK cities, due, he said, to the high cost of operating from London’s premier hub.
Although transport secretary Chris Grayling has said some slots at an expanded Heathrow will be reserved for domestic flights, Walsh said there was ‘zero chance’ of BA launching services to cities such as Newquay.
However, Heathrow claims it is in talks with easyJet, Flybe and Bmi regional about potential routes.
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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