Boris Johnson targets 'bewitched' government on aviation
In fine bombastic Boris style he described himself as an aeronautical Bill Cash, unable to let go until he had changed the status quo.
Boris Johnson vows to fight Heathrow expansion
The Mayor of London challenged the Prime Minister today over his demotion of Justine Greening and vowed to fight any expansion to Heathrow.
Hunt and Grayling big movers in Coalition reshuffle
Jeremy Hunt and Chris Grayling landed promotions as David Cameron sparked minor controversy in reordering his Cabinet for the first time.
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BA: Heathrow charges 'must be reduced significantly'
– British AirwaysHeathrow Airport's charges have already tripled over the past 11 years. The charges must be reduced significantly over the coming years, especially when the airport is cutting investment by around 25% from next year onwards.
We hope the regulator (the CAA) will give a fair ruling in the months ahead, which doesn't penalise customers and airlines.
Any investment plans between 2014 and 2019 should be targeted and efficient. We believe Heathrow can make significant savings to its inefficient cost base while still investing £3 billion in improving the overall customer experience.
Virgin: 'Prices a concern for passengers and airlines'
– Virgin Atlantic chief operating officer Steve GriffithsPrices at Heathrow are triple the level they were 10 years ago. Clearly this is a concern for all passengers travelling through Heathrow, and all airlines operating there.
In the current economic climate other businesses, in private and public sectors and especially airlines, are making savings and delivering on less money.
Airports should not be exempt from that and we call upon the CAA to use its regulatory powers to ensure there is a real-terms reduction in charges applied to each passenger.
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Passenger forecasts at Heathrow 'miscalculated'
Heathrow chief executive Colin Matthews said the airport envisaged passenger numbers increasing from just under 70 million now to around 72.6 million by 2018/19.
He had admitted that Heathrow, airlines and the CAA had all got their passenger forecasts wrong for the period 2009 to 2014.
The CAA based their ruling on the charges Heathrow could impose on airlines on the basis of the west London airport handling 78 million passengers a year by 2013.
Mr Matthews said this miscalculation had resulted in Heathrow receiving around £650 million less in charges over the last five years.
This was money that the airport could not recover now or in the future.
The planned investment until the end of the decade is in addition to £11 billion that has been invested since 2003.
Heathrow planning '£3 billion of investment'
The charges, which need to be approved by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), will help pay for the £3 billion of investment that Heathrow is planning. This includes:
- The opening of the new Terminal 2 next year, improved check-in and baggage facilities and more customer service training for staff.
- Flight punctuality at Heathrow - the number of planes taking off or landing within 15 minutes of schedule - was only around 67% in 2007. It has now gone up to 80% and Heathrow wants this figure to increase to 90% by the end of the decade.
Heathrow passengers face rise in ticket prices
Passengers using Heathrow face a rise in ticket prices under £3 billion investment plans proposed by bosses of the west London airport.
Heathrow wants regulators to approve a five-year plan which will see the fees it charges airlines to use the airport rise over the period 2014 to 2019.
If approved, the charges will increase from the equivalent of £19.33 per passenger for 2012/13 to as much as £27.30 for in 2018/19.
IoD: Delay in Heathow link decision 'disappointing'
The Institute of Directors (IoD), which represents the business community, has called for the government to extend the HS2 line to Heathrow Airport.
This section of the network has been delayed pending a review of UK airports.
– Corin Taylor, Senior Economic Adviser, IoDAir and rail needs to be much better connected, and so it is very welcome to see the Y-network serving Manchester airport directly.
But by the same token it is disappointing to see a direct connection to Heathrow left out altogether.
If the Davies Commission recommends that Heathrow should remain the UK’s main hub airport, then the first section of HS2 ought to run through Heathrow, not around it.
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Heathrow HS2 extension subject to airports review
The Government has announced that plans to extend the High Speed 2 rail network to Heathrow airport are "subject to the findings of the Airports Commission report".
Sir Howard Davies' review of future airport capacity is not due to give a final report until the summer of 2015.
The Department for Transport announced this morning that "HS2 will connect to Heathrow Airport from the first day that Phase One opens via a fast 11-minute Crossrail link at the new Old Oak Common station."
Tempers fray as Heathrow flight backlog causes delays
Tempers were becoming frayed in Terminal 5, with winding queues resulting in accusations of queue-jumping by frustrated passengers.
Steve Greenwood, from Yorkshire, shouted at a group of passengers he and others believed were queue-jumping, saying they "just push in where they want".
Clearly frustrated, Mr Greenwood, who had been standing in the queue for more than half an hour.
One Australian man on his way to a conference in Geneva, who asked to be unnamed, remained lighthearted, saying: "We've spoken to more reporters than BA staff.
"Does it come as a great surprise that it snows in the northern hemisphere?"
Queues at Heathrow Airport due to snow
Both runways remain open at Heathrow Airport, but a backlog of cancelled and delayed flights mean there are long queues in Departures.
Passengers wake up to more cancellations at Heathrow
Scores of people have woken up in terminal lounges Heathrow as the airport struggles with a backlog of flights that were cancelled yesterday because of the snow.
Airport authorities said 100 flights have already been cancelled this morning.
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