United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
Ryanair boss weighs into T5 row
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has used the chaos surrounding the opening of Heathrow Terminal 5 to renew his call for airports operator BAA to be broken up.
The no-frills carrier – which operates from BAA’s other London airports Stansted and Gatwick – claimed the shambolic opening of T5 which “exposed more BAA incompetence, mismanagement and gold platingâ€.
The problems are symptomatic of widespread failure common at many BAA airports including Stansted and Gatwick where passengers routinely suffer long queues at security and passport control as well as repeated baggage belt breakdowns, the airline added.
O’Leary said: “This morning’s chaos at Heathrow provides further compelling evidence of the need to break up the BAA monopoly.
“We should allow competition between the London airports to deliver more efficient facilities, better passenger service and lower costs where the BAA airport monopoly has failed.
“If the BAA London airport monopoly was split up, competition would deliver better services and efficient terminals which actually work as opposed to complicated Taj Mahals like Heathrow’s T5. It is high time to break up this BAA airport monopoly.”
This abject customer service continues at the BAA airports because the Civil Aviation Authority’s regulatory regime has repeatedly failed to protect the needs of users because it is too busy “rewarding†BAA with price increases, the airline argued.
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel
Darien Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination
Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics
Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy
Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene
Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee
Craig Ray and the Expansion of the Blues Trail
Presenting Mississippi’s Cultural Trails with Katie Coats
Robert Terrell: A Journey Through BB King’s Influence
Rochelle Hicks: Celebrating Mississippi’s Musical Legacy
Exploring Jacksonville with Katie Mitura: The Flip Side of Florida
Dozens fall ill in P&O Cruises ship outbreak
Boy falls to death on cruise ship
Turkish Airlines flight in emergency landing after pilot dies
Unexpected wave rocks cruise ship
Woman dies after going overboard in English Channel