British Airways says the part closure of UK airports because of snow cost it more than £50m Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic is withholding the fees it pays airport operator BAA because of its “slow reaction” to last month’s heavy snow.
The airline says it will not pay any airport fees before the end of BAA’s full inquiry, due at the end of March.
Hundreds of thousands of air passengers were disrupted in December as Heathrow and other airports temporarily closed, costing the industry million of pounds.
BAA says the conditions at Heathrow provided no basis to withhold charges.
Virgin – one of BAA’s biggest customers – and other airlines have been critical of the length of time it took to clear planes for take-off following the disruption.
BAA’s new non-executive director, Sir David Begg, launched an inquiry just before Christmas into “what went wrong” at Heathrow where flights were grounded for days.
A panel of experts from different airports and airlines will judge BAA’s “planning, execution and recovery”.
Heathrow Airport’s boss Colin Matthews announced in December that he was to forgo his bonus as he focussed on rebuilding confidence in the airport.
At the time, Prime Minister David Cameron said it was understandable there was extensive disruption given the amount of snow that had fallen.
But he added he was frustrated on behalf of all those affected that it was “taking so long for the situation to improve”.
BBC business correspondent Joe Lynam said the fees Virgin were withholding were said to amount to less than £10m.
British Airways, meanwhile, said the part-closure of UK airports cost it in excess of £50m.
BAA, which theoretically could impound Virgin planes for non-payment of fees, said it would work with airlines during the Begg inquiry.
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