Heathrow’s recovery

SIR – I helped deliver the London 2012 Olympics on time and to budget. When I say John Holland-kaye, Heathrow’s outgoing chief executive, is “an extraordinary leader” (Business, February 3), I know what I’m talking about.

We had challenges recovering from Covid – like everyone else in the sector. Two years of constantly changing travel rules and no financial support from the Government put UK aviation in the worst possible place. But under John’s direction, Heathrow grew more than any airport in the world last year, and 94 per cent of passengers cleared security in under 20 minutes (86 per cent in under 10). Only 10 per cent of staff are employed by Heathrow – the rest work for airlines or their ground handlers. That teams are scaled-up to 94 per cent of 2019 levels and ready for the Easter and summer getaways is a phenomenal achievement.

The regulatory process inevitably results in sharp words from some airlines. They are incentivised to say Heathrow is inefficient because each pound they knock off Heathrow’s charge goes directly to their bottom line. But people in the UK know well that hollowing out investment in key infrastructure stores up trouble for the future. We need to invest in Britain’s hub airport to continue delivering a great service for passengers and unlock economic growth. The Civil Aviation Authority may have “allowed” for £3.6billion of investment, but without a sufficient return for the private investors who will pay for it, that investment won’t happen and passengers will bear the brunt.

Heathrow’s charge has risen by £10, while the average fare airlines charge Heathrow passengers was up by over £156 last year compared with 2019. Heathrow is good value for passengers and airlines, which is why passenger numbers have grown so fast. The airport was one of the worstperforming in the world when John started; now it’s voted in the top 10 by passengers. Airlines have returned to profit and are queueing up to get in.

Most importantly, John has helped shape a credible plan for aviation to decarbonise – protecting the benefits of flying for future generations without the carbon cost.

Lord Deighton (Con)

Chairman, Heathrow Airport London SW1