Increased charges at Gatwick could lead to passengers paying an extra £28 per flight in future, the boss of easyJet warned today.
Chief executive Carolyn McCall, responding to the Civil Aviation Authority’s latest pricing proposals for the airport where the carrier has a major presence, said she was “disappointed” with the proposed rise in charges of RPI + 0.5%.
She claimed that the figure was based on the airport’s proposals and “ignores those of the airlines who gave evidence to support a lowering in charges which would have led to a reduction in fares paid by passengers”.
McCall said: “Our greatest concern is about the lack of regulatory control of a proposed second runway at Gatwick where the CAA has handed GAL [Gatwick Airport Limited] a licence to print money and has significantly enhanced the value of the future sale of GAL by private infrastructure fund GIP [Global Infrastructure Partners].
“Using GAL’s own figures passengers could be paying £28 more per flight for years in advance of the opening of a new £9 billion runway without any real oversight by the CAA.”
She conceded that the regulator is right to view Gatwick as a “monopoly airport” adding that continued regulation of Gatwick is necessary to protect the interests of all passengers who use the airport.
“EasyJet agrees with the proposed new approach of allowing the airport and its airlines to engage constructively to reach agreements, within a regulatory framework, which are in both parties interests – and the interests of passengers.”