American Airlines has added its weight to a campaign calling for a review of how Heathrow is regulated after the government backed plans for a third runway.
The third largest operator at the London hub has joined he Heathrow Airline Operators’ Committee (AOC), International Airlines Group, Virgin Atlantic and hotel company Arora Group in the Heathrow Reimagined industry body.
Heathrow Reimagined submitted a “case for change” to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) earlier this month urging a review before investment in expansion, without delaying a third runway.
Iata also formally joined the Heathrow Reimagined campaign last week.
The US carrier has now endorsed the body’s call for a review to address the root causes before passengers and airlines are locked into higher charges for decades to come.
A Heathrow Reimagined spokesperson said: “We welcome the decision from American Airlines to join the campaign, as we continue to seek fundamental reform to Heathrow’s regulatory model and, in turn, to enable affordable spending for the benefit of passengers, businesses and the UK economy.
“Despite recent announcements made declaring a ‘privately-funded’ expansion programme, we are clear that it will be the passengers who foot the bill through higher passenger charges.”
American Airlines executive vice president and chief government affairs officer Nate Gatten said: “Commercial air connectivity between our countries is critical for economic growth. As a major operator at Heathrow representing substantial connectivity between the United Kingdom and the United States of America, we support the objective of Heathrow Reimagined to implement a review, and wholesale reform of the existing and outdated regulatory model.”