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
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 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025