Routes and Airports Channel

Passengers in first place in CAA proposal for UK airports

By Sandra Arnoult
ATW's Airports Today, April, 2009, p.4

UK CAA has had its mission made clear: Passengers must come first. UK Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon issued the directive in March as part of a package designed to improve the economic regulation of UK airports.

"The CAA has told us that their current duties lack clarity," Hoon said. "[The duties] ask them to further the interests of both airlines and passengers, without saying who comes first. Today I am removing that lack of clarity--the passenger must come first."

Hoon, who has been in office since October 2008, said CAA will be given a secondary duty to ensure that airports meet their environmental obligations.

"I want to put passengers at the heart of how our airports are run--this will help ensure that we get the most efficient and competitive aviation sector," he said. "Passengers have told us that although they are broadly happy with their experience of airports, they want things like more seating areas, more toilets, better flight information and more baggage carousels open at busy times--these are exactly the kind of issues that we will expect the CAA to address in discharging its new duty."

Other measures include a new three-tier airport licensing structure with varying levels of control on airports, as well as a streamlined appeals process for those affected by regulatory decisions. The proposals are subject to a 12-week consultation period that will conclude June 1.

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