Virgin withholds airport fees over snow disruption
Virgin Atlantic has told BAA that it will withhold its fees over the closure of airports during December’s heavy snow.
It says it will not pay until the results of an inquiry into the closures, blaming BAA’s ‘slow reaction’ for some of the disruption at Heathrow and other airports.
A spokesman for the airline said: “We have written to BAA this weekend to advise them that we are withholding our fees from the airport operator until its inquiry into the snow enforced runway closures in December is completed.
"Despite the airport operating conditions being way beyond our control, Virgin Atlantic is taking responsibility by paying out millions to customers that suffered disruption to their Christmas travel plans.
"We are keen that BAA also feels a strong sense of accountability to the consumer and that minds are focused on delivering a fully independent and robust inquiry by its deadline in March.”
In the inquiry, a panel of experts from different airports and airlines will investigate BAA’s "planning, execution and recovery" during the bad weather.
Virgin and other airlines have criticised the airports operator over its handling of the problems.
British Airways announced earlier this month that the disruption had cost it more than £50 million.
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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