Originally Posted by FT Letters Page
From Mr Charles Graham.
Sir, We may be tempted to sympathise with the management of BAA, the UK airports operator, striving to cope with the strains of the current crisis and pleading in its own defence that "no one foresaw this and there is only a certain amount you can do with contingency plans" ("BAA could face compensation demand", August 15). However, those of us who use Heathrow airport on a very regular basis know full well how poor the BAA performance has been for a very long time.
"Ordinary" security screening procedures have hitherto often involved endless queues, particularly at the busy times in the morning. What grates, though, is the sight of security machines standing idle and unloved when the head of the queue is finally reached. It really is a staffing issue, and well before this recent crisis BAA consistently failed to provide enough staff to cope with travellers' needs.
The shops, of course, are excellent and well presented when you reach them, indubitably because they must pay for their own shop fitting on top of the sky-high (sic) rents. They are in stark contrast to the rest of the airport, where malodorous carpeting and broken "travelators" are the everyday experience.
In all my travels in Europe I cannot think of a less attractive airport. It seems as if BAA runs its airports as highly profitable shopping centres, merely masquerading as an airport operator.
It is, indeed, high time that the UK airports regulator took a long hard look at the ownership and operating structure of our airports and at Heathrow in particular. What is wrong with a not-for-profit organisation under which the surplus revenue reduces the gate charges, to the benefit of the airlines and us, their customers? It could also boost the capital expenditure to rid us of the dreary environment, and Ferrovial could manage the airport in return for base and performance fees, although it would not amount to much of a return on its £10.1bn!
We all want things to get back to normal as soon as possible; it's just that "normal" for BAA at Heathrow was not and is not good enough, and this crisis should not be allowed to mask a deeper affliction.
Charles Graham,
Chief Executive
Europa Capital Partners,
London SW1X 9AX