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The chief of one of the world’s largest airlines has launched a scathing attack on Heathrow Airport, comparing the level of customer service at the airport to that of devastated airports after the Second World War.
Emirates chief executive Tim Clark has accused the bosses of Britain’s busiest airport of prioritising shareholders and dividend payments over the aviation hub’s current situation.
The UAE’s flag carrier is based out of Terminal 3.
“I was at Heathrow the other day and I came out of the lounge and the ceiling height is awful,” Sir Tim said. Times.
“It looks like a post-World War II utilitarian structure. It’s just not enough.”
He criticised the airport as “seriously lagging” when it comes to passenger travel experience and called for a major restructuring to improve the situation.
“This is an old airport. I think it will be very difficult. The whole terminal needs to be opened up. Where we are based, new airports are being built that are using the latest technology to streamline processes for every element of customer interaction. That is not the case at Heathrow.”
Sir Tim also reportedly wants to reduce the size of Terminal 3’s plaza to allow more space for security and check-in. Times.
A Heathrow spokesman said: “All money spent on improving airport facilities is subject to regulatory approval. Despite proposals being reduced in the current regulator settlement, we still plan to invest £3.6 billion in infrastructure upgrades over the next three years. We will continue to invest in the future and work with our airline partners to build an airport fit for the future.”
Heathrow Airport said in April it had turned a first-quarter profit into a profit and raised its full-year passenger growth outlook after seeing record passenger numbers since the start of the year.
The company made pre-tax profits of £189 million for the three months to March 31, traditionally a slow period for the industry, compared with a loss of £60 million a year earlier.
The airline announced a record quarter, with passenger numbers increasing 9.5% to 18.5 million.
Heathrow reported that it will be the world’s fourth-busiest airport by November 2023, a significant increase compared to October 2022 passenger numbers and less than 1% below pre-pandemic figures in October 2019.
Earlier this year, the Civil Aviation Authority announced that passenger charges at Heathrow Airport could be cut by 6 percent over the next two years.
The fee is paid by the airline and is usually charged to the passenger as part of the airfare.
If the proposals are implemented, the average fare per passenger would fall by around £1.52 to £23.72 in 2025 and £1.58 to £23.70 in 2026.