Press Release: American Airlines Joins Call For Urgent And Fundamental Reform Of Heathrow's Regulatory Model

American Airlines Joins Call For Urgent And Fundamental Reform Of Heathrow's Regulatory Model

• Heathrow Reimagined: A Better Hub for Britain, earlier this month submitted its case for change to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) urging a review before investment in expansion, without delaying a third runway
• American Airlines joins the call for urgent and fundamental reform of Heathrow’s regulatory model for the benefit of consumers, businesses and the UK economy
• American Airlines is the third largest operator at London Heathrow, representing 4.7million seats flying to and from the UK’s only hub airport in 2024
• Announcement follows the International Air Transport Association (IATA) also joining the Heathrow Reimagined campaign 

London, 24 February 2025

The Heathrow Reimagined campaign today announces that American Airlines has joined the Heathrow Airline Operators’ Committee (AOC), Arora Group, International Airlines Group (IAG), and Virgin Atlantic in calling on the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to conduct an urgent and fundamental review into the way in which Heathrow, the UK’s only hub airport and the largest in Europe, is regulated, for the benefit of consumers, businesses, and the UK economy.

Following the submission of the case for change to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which has been made following years of declining passenger experience and ageing infrastructure at the airport, coupled with expansion plans that will see passenger charges rise again, American Airlines has endorsed the campaign’s call for a review to address the root causes before passengers and airlines are locked into higher charges for decades to come.

The endorsement and signature to join the Heathrow Reimagined campaign, by American Airlines, the third largest operator at London Heathrow, represents the first signatory of a major airline outside of the UK.

A spokesperson for Heathrow Reimagined, representing Heathrow AOC, Arora Group International Airlines Group (IAG) and Virgin Atlantic, said:

“We welcome the decision from American Airlines to join the campaign, as we continue to seek fundamental reform to Heathrow’s regulatory model and, in turn, to enable affordable spending for the benefit of passengers, businesses and the UK economy.

“This endorsement of Heathrow Reimagined by American Airlines, demonstrates the importance of connectivity between the United States of America and Britain, which is vital for connecting people and trade between our two nations.

“Today, Heathrow is the world’s most expensive airport, with inefficient spending that sees passengers and airlines paying £1.1 billion more each year than if charges were in line with equivalent major European airports. Despite recent announcements made declaring a “privately-funded” expansion programme, we are clear that it will be the passengers who foot the bill through higher passenger charges. The time to act is now.”

Nate Gatten, Executive Vice President and Chief Government Affairs Officer of American Airlines, said: 

“Commercial air connectivity between our countries is critical for economic growth. As a major operator at Heathrow representing substantial connectivity between the United Kingdom and the United States of America, we support the objective of Heathrow Reimagined to implement a review, and wholesale reform of the existing and outdated regulatory model.”

Last week, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) also formally joined the Heathrow Reimagined campaign. IATA represents some 340 airlines and over 80% of global air traffic as a global trade association helping to formulate industry policy on critical aviation issues.

The Heathrow Reimagined campaign continues to actively engage with the wider industry and government to achieve its primary objective of fundamental reform that can serve as a first step towards delivering value for consumers, UK plc and the government’s growth agenda.

ENDS

 

For more information about Heathrow Reimagined: A Better Hub for Britain, please visit: www.heathrow-reimagined.com  

For media inquiries please contact:

Ollie Pratt: +44 (0) 7807 295 691

FTI Consulting: [email protected]