Heathrow runway refundable, paving the way for ticket increases

Heathrow Airport will be allowed to charge airlines more for its services to recoup the money it spent early on in its third runway project.

The aviation regulator is allowing airports to claim back up to £320m in airline fees for each passenger, which can be added to the ticket price.

A bidder who successfully submits a rival design to Aurora Group’s Heathrow West, which is the shortest runway, will also be allowed to recover the £4.1m cost.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and Heathrow said safeguards would be in place to protect consumers from undue costs.