Heathrow boss hits back at airlines over expansion cost claims

Heathrow has hit back at airlines’ claims that its expansion plans would blow the £14.3bn budget and drive up charges, saying it was looking out for passengers and the local community and not to “protect the self-interest” of British Airways. Airline executives, led by Willie Walsh of BA’s parent company, IAG, told MPs on the transport select committee this week that they should not trust Heathrow and warned that a “grossly off-target” budget could make the airport unaffordable. But Heathrow’s chief executive, John Holland-Kaye, said he “completely rejected” Walsh’s comments that others could deliver a third runway and new infrastructure cheaper. He insisted that there was still “good collaboration behind the scenes” despite the stance of IAG, which operates more than half of the flights at Heathrow.