Airlines have reacted with fury and warned passengers will face higher fares after the UK’s aviation regulator increased air traffic control charges.
The costs, paid by airlines, come after a UK air traffic control meltdown in August which led to long flight delays and left thousands stranded.
The fee will rise from £47 to £64 per flight until 2027, representing an increase of around 43p per passenger.
The fee will rise from £47 to £64 per flight until 2027, representing an increase of around 43p per passenger.
Tim Alderslade, chief executive of industry body Airlines UK, said the hike in charges was “yet another kick in the teeth for passengers who have been plagued by issues this summer including the August Nats [National Air Traffic Services] IT failure”.
The group, which represents carriers including British Airways, EasyJet, Jet2, Ryanair, Virgin Atlantic and Tui, said passengers would “inevitably end up footing the bill of millions of pounds for increases”.
“It is clear that a wider independent review into how Nats is regulated is needed to protect passengers and ensure that airlines are not always forced to act as the insurer of last resort and bear millions of pounds of costs for failures that are not their fault,” he added.
Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said the airline was “astonished” at the CAA’s “illogical” decision to increase charges, and called for it to be reversed.
He said no increase should be made “until Nats delivers the service it is already being paid for”, adding that “further price increases which will only go to fund more undeserved dividends to its shareholders”.
Airlines have reacted with fury and warned passengers will face higher fares after the UK’s aviation regulator increased air traffic control charges.
The fee will rise from £47 to £64 per flight until 2027, representing an increase of around 43p per passenger.
The costs, paid by airlines, come after a UK air traffic control meltdown in August which led to long flight delays and left thousands stranded.
Tim Alderslade, chief executive of industry body Airlines UK, said the hike in charges was “yet another kick in the teeth for passengers who have been plagued by issues this summer including the August Nats [National Air Traffic Services] IT failure”.
The fee will rise from £47 to £64 per flight until 2027, representing an increase of around 43p per passenger.
The fee will rise from £47 to £64 per flight until 2027, representing an increase of around 43p per passenger.
Tim Alderslade, chief executive of industry body Airlines UK, said the hike in charges was “yet another kick in the teeth for passengers who have been plagued by issues this summer including the August Nats [National Air Traffic Services] IT failure”.
The group, which represents carriers including British Airways, EasyJet, Jet2, Ryanair, Virgin Atlantic and Tui, said passengers would “inevitably end up footing the bill of millions of pounds for increases”.
“It is clear that a wider independent review into how Nats is regulated is needed to protect passengers and ensure that airlines are not always forced to act as the insurer of last resort and bear millions of pounds of costs for failures that are not their fault,” he added.
Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said the airline was “astonished” at the CAA’s “illogical” decision to increase charges, and called for it to be reversed.
He said no increase should be made “until Nats delivers the service it is already being paid for”, adding that “further price increases which will only go to fund more undeserved dividends to its shareholders”.
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