Heathrow Airport will fall behind rival hubs in the East should it fail to pursue plans for a third runway, the boss of Istanbul Airport has said. In an interview with City A . M.
Selahattin Bilgen argued the Hounslow hub had “limited capacity” compared to Istanbul and may need to jack up airport charges to bring in more cash. It has in the past been embroiled in spats with airlines over the level it can set the levy, with both the UK’s competition and aviation watchdogs wading in. “I agree if Heathrow does not invest in the third runway, this will limit its growth and, by the way, that turns into the airport charges.
So the less efficient you operate, the higher you have to increase the airport charges. “It’s already much [more] expensive than its competitors right now. So it has a limited capacity [and] it has to use it in the best way.
So the return is increasing the airport charges and that makes it less competitive.” His comments come after the boss of Dubai Airport, who is also the former head of Gatwick, warned in March that Heathrow had “lost its status” as a key hub for transfer flights due to capacity issues that could be solved by its long delayed expansion plans. The airport has also faced significant backlash over its infrastructure in the last month, with Sir Tim Clark, the boss of Emirates comparing it to a run down Second World War airport.
Asked whether Heathrow was slipping behind competitors in the Middle East and Istanbul, Bilgen told Cit.
