March 31 (Reuters) - Britain's Civil Aviation Authority on Tuesday proposed capping Heathrow Airport's passenger charges at between 27.20 pounds and 30.50 pounds per passenger for the 2027-2031
UK Aviation Watchdog Proposes Heathrow Airport Passenger Charge Cap for 2027-2031
Heathrow Airport Passenger Charges and Regulatory Proposals
Proposed Cap on Passenger Charges
March 31 (Reuters) - Britain's Civil Aviation Authority on Tuesday proposed capping Heathrow Airport's passenger charges at between 27.20 pounds and 30.50 pounds per passenger for the 2027-2031 regulatory period.
Objectives and Implications of the Proposal
Ensuring Fair Pricing and Infrastructure Investment
The CAA'S initial proposal aims to keep passenger prices "fair", while enabling infrastructure investment at Europe's busiest airport, the statement said.
Concerns from Heathrow Management
However, Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye warned the cap "may force choices that create trade-offs for service and delay delivery."
Heathrow Expansion and Future Plans
Passenger Growth and Expansion Projects
The airport, which expects to handle around 85 million passengers this year, is pursuing a 33 billion pounds ($43.56 billion) plan to build a new runway as the government pushes ahead with one of Britain's most controversial infrastructure projects to drive growth.
Timeline for Final Decisions
The CAA will publish final proposals in November 2026 and make a final decision in April 2027, with the new price control separate from ongoing work to support capacity expansion at Heathrow.
Currency Exchange Rate
($1 = 0.7576 pounds)
(Reporting by Raechel Thankam Job and Ankita Bora in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman and Nivedita Bhattacharjee)
