UK airports operator BAA has stated that minimum departure fees for aircraft will be raised from £220 to £1000 in a bid to encourage carriers to fly fuller planes.
Environmentalist suggests the new charges will mean Londoners living near the airport and under its flight path would experience 50% less noise pollution and about 25% lower carbon dioxide emissions from planes within five years.
Landing fees have also been addressed, with older aircraft pay higher fares than those with the new “greener” planes.
BAA commercial director John Holland-Kaye said the group was following the demands of Londoners by “making Heathrow better without being bigger” after the failure of the bid for a third runway. He says: “By encouraging airlines to fly their newest planes to Heathrow, we’ll much become more noise and fuel efficient, while cutting transfer charges will mean it’s economic for airlines to give the airport access to new markets like Lima and Jakarta.”