Heathrow criticised Chancellor Jeremy Hunt for hiking non-economy Air Passenger Duty next April and not reversing a UK ‘tourist tax’ in the spring Budget.
Hunt “missed the opportunity to back British business” by “prioritising short-term decisions over policies that would deliver the growth and jobs the UK economy needs,” the airport said.
“Instead, he raised taxes on aviation with no ring-fencing for the green transition.”
The sideswipe came as Heathrow reported a record number of passengers in February as 5.8 million people used the airport.
The year-on-year increase of almost 12% came as the London hub reported the “busiest ever” February half-term period with more than two million passengers.
Winter sun won over the ski slopes with nearly two thirds of travellers heading to warmer destinations.
Heathrow is now on track to serve a record number of passengers this year even before the leap year lift of 207,000 passengers on February 29.
The airport said it was “ready and prepared” to make the next travel peak at Easter “another success”.
Chief executive Thomas Woldbye said: “It was wonderful to welcome so many passengers for the first holiday peak of 2024, setting a new Heathrow record.
“While we are serving more people, visitors to the UK are spending less since the removal of tax-free shopping, impacting businesses across the country.
“The spring Budget was a missed opportunity to give the whole tourism, hospitality and retail sector the support it needs to compete internationally.”
The latest route additions include more Loganair domestic services, British Airways routes to Abu Dhabi, Kos and Izmir, a new Virgin Atlantic service to Bangalore and the return of Vueling to Barcelona and Paris Orly in time for the summer Olympics.