LHR Hikes Charges for Carriers, Reduces Fees for Domestic Passengers

These changes, which took effect on January 1, come just as London Heathrow Airport (LHR) intends to hold a public consultation regarding its contentious expansion.

The public consultation on its planned third runway may be only a few weeks away, but London Heathrow Airport (LHR) has announced a brace of changes just in time for the New Year, City A.M. reports.

Firstly, in an effort to encourage carriers to employ quieter and cleaner aircraft, the airport has said that it will now be raising its environmental fees to seven percent. These higher fees, it says, are part of its “ambitious sustainability strategy.” The airport hopes that these charges will help to mitigate its impact on the communities surrounding the airport.

In a statement, John Holland-Kaye, LHR’s CEO said, “Heathrow is determined to reduce the airport’s environmental impacts. Increasing our environmental charges to incentivize airlines to bring their cleanest, quietest aircraft to Heathrow is the best way to cut emissions and shrink the noise footprint around the airport. It is a tangible step that will make a real difference to local communities.”

Secondly, the airport has also announced that it is slashing charges for its domestic passengers. “From 1^st January 2018, passengers flying to any UK destination from Heathrow will have a £15 ($20.4) discount on the airport charges they pay – the biggest discount in the airport’s history and resulting in savings of nearly £40 ($54.4) million annually and over £750 ($1) million over the next 20 years,” the airport said in a statement. It is hoped that this move will make it more affordable for passengers to fly within the United Kingdom and will help to make LHR more attractive to carriers.

Commenting on this latter move in a statement, Holland-Kaye said, “Every corner of our country should be able to benefit from the growth and trade that stems from links to the nation’s hub airport – that’s why Heathrow is making it cheaper to fly within the UK by reducing our domestic passenger charges even further for the second consecutive year. Putting nearly £40 ($54.5) million back into the pockets of British families and businesses each year will help to spur growth in every part of the UK.”