Heathrow accused of trying to 'squeeze more money from airlines'

Heathrow has been accused of trying to “squeeze more money out of the airlines” after proposing a controversial new charge.

Britain’s biggest airport wants to impose a £40 per tonne levy that will affect airlines that carry freight.

The travel center has already come under fire this summer – after telling airlines to stop selling summer tickets and imposing a cap of 100,000 passengers by October.

Turmoil: Britain’s biggest airport wants to impose a £40-per-tonne levy that will affect airlines that carry freight

A memo seen by The Mail on Sunday reveals details of the charges, which critics say will cause “significant economic damage” to global Britain by making exports more expensive.

The document – an update of the Civil Aviation Authority’s consultation on passenger charges – shows Heathrow has refused to backtrack from its low passenger forecasts for 2023.

It has maintained its expectation that 65.2 million passengers will travel through Heathrow next year, up 80 per cent from 2019 levels.

The International Air Travel Association (IATA), which represents the largest airlines, accused the airport of “deliberately underestimating passenger numbers to justify its sky-high prices”.

IATA Director General Willie Walsh said Heathrow’s efforts to “extort more money from airlines and passengers” must stop. He added: “The airport already owes the airlines over £300m in inflated fees that it cannot repay. These additional fees, especially for freight, will cause significant economic damage.’

A Heathrow spokesman said it was consulting with airlines about the change and its aim was to invest in airport facilities.