Heathrow must become more efficient, says IAG CEO
The CEO of airline group IAG has called for London Heathrow Airport to become a more “efficient” global hub.
Speaking at the Airline Leaders Summit on the first day of…
The CEO of airline group IAG has called for London Heathrow Airport to become a more “efficient” global hub.
Speaking at the Airline Leaders Summit on the first day of the Farnborough International Airshow, Luis Gallego said higher charges at the west London site risked pushing passengers to other airports – particularly transit traffic which can use other hubs in continental Europe.
“In London (Heathrow), what we want is to have a much more efficient airport,” he said. “The charges that the passengers pay at Heathrow are three times what they can pay in other hubs in Europe.
“People decide to go through other hubs and it is something that we need to avoid. We are working with the new [UK] government to see if we can improve the Heathrow experience.
“We had some meetings … for the time being the conversations are positive and we all understand that aviation is essential for this country.”
Earlier this year, Heathrow airport revised up the number of passengers it expects to handle, to more than 82 million. It has plans for that figure to exceed 90 million in the future.
Heathrow reported 7.2 million passengers in May (the first time May traffic has exceeded seven million), and breaking its previous 12-month high.
In the 12 months to May, the UK hub served a record-breaking 81.5 million passengers, another new high for the airport.
“Supporting 81 million journeys doesn’t just help families to make wonderful memories, importantly it is about the vital trade and business links a hub like Heathrow creates for the UK economy,” said Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye last month.
Over the course of the last year, the airport saw the highest rise in passengers from the Asia Pacific region (up 36.6%), although growth was recorded across all areas.
A total of 81,519 passengers were carried in the 12 months to May 2024, an overall increase of 13.9%.
The Asia Pacific region was also responsible for the highest increase in overall air transport movements (with a change of 26.2%), contributing to an overall 11% increase in scheduled services to Heathrow.
