The Sunday Times full article available online here, published Saturday 3 May, 2025.
PHOTO L-R: Surinder Arora, founder of Arora Group, Luis Gallego, chief executive of International Airlines Group, Shai Weiss chief executive at Virgin Atlantic and Nigel Wicking, chief executive of Heathrow Airline Operators Committee. CREDIT: IAG/NICK MORRISH
ARTICLE EXTRACT:
Virgin Atlantic and British Airways owner IAG are pushing to seize greater control of Heathrow airport ahead of the building of the third runway.
The two airlines have set aside a long-running rivalry to demand once-in-a-generation regulatory reform that could give them a vote on major spending at the airport and allow third parties to operate its terminal buildings.
Virgin Atlantic owner Sir Richard Branson is interested in running a terminal as part of an independent consortium, according to the airline’s boss, Shai Weiss.
Luis Gallego, chief executive of IAG, said the FTSE 100 group was also “open to every possible alternative to stimulate the competition” in the future — but stopped short of registering similar interest at this time.
Ever since its privatisation, Heathrow has been in control of operations across all of its terminals. Other airports have introduced competition between terminal operators. It is especially common in America, with the likes of New York’s John F Kennedy airport boasting terminals run by different parties — among them, former Heathrow owner Ferrovial.
Gallego said: “We want to create a committee to control the capital expenditure — [and] to bring some kind of competition to challenge Heathrow to be efficient,” he said.
Full article available here.
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