Heathrow achieves International Recognition.

Giovanni Bisignani

It is not just the Celtic Sage who condemns Heathrow Airport and the cartels which make it an expensive horror story for its abused users but it has now achieved wider recognition. Heathrow Airport has now been described as “a national embarrassment” by the head of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). And the Civil Aviation Authority - the watchdog designed to keep a check on Britain's airports - was named and shamed as “the world's worst regulator”. The criticism comes at a bad time for the indebted Spanish brick company Ferrovial which owns airport operator BAA, which could soon be forced to sell one of its three London airports as the Government looks to break its monopoly. BAA currently runs seven UK airports.

Yesterday's criticism of Heathrow - Europe's busiest airport - and the CAA was made by Giovanni Bisignani, head of the IATA at its annual conference in Istanbul. IATA represents the interests of more than 240 airlines worldwide. Giovanni Bisignani says service levels at Heathrow are a “national embarrassment” Mr Bisignani's comments come with UK airport and aviation bosses still dealing with the fallout from the shambolic opening of Heathrow's £4.3 billion Terminal 5.

He told the conference: “This year's Worst Regulator Award goes to the UK Civil Aviation Authority. Look at Heathrow; service levels are a national embarrassment but still the CAA increased charges by 50 per cent over the last five years and plans 86 per cent for the next five. Could anyone in this room ask for a fare increase of 86 per cent? Nobody. That only happens in "Monopoly-land".'

The CAA said it “agrees that passengers and airlines deserve better service than BAA has provided” and was beefing up penalties as an incentive for it to improve. BAA said it was “committed to improving services for passengers”. Last month BA boss Willie Walsh told MPs that the opening of Terminal 5 had been “a disaster” but said the airport had been “a national embarrassment for years”.

Britain's World Class Airport

The Celtic Sage particularly echoes the criticism of the Civil Aviation Authority and its totally useless “consumer” organisation ATUC – the so called “Air Traffic Users Council.” ( http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/04/up-up-and-away-with-baa-no-2.html ) which has been totally ineffective in enforcing EU Law No. 261 on Air Passenger Rights and in particular the rights of Disabled Passengers who are treated in a discreditable manner by most Airports and many airlines. This is something the Celtic Sage will return to in more righteous detail but in the meantime the farcical situation of the ineffectual CAA which has a close symbiotic relationship with the aviation industry pretending to protect the abused consumers of British Airports including the internationally recognised Heathrow Sinkpit must stop and an independent and effective consumer protection body be set up to act as the National Enforcement Body for EU Law 261.

Meanwhile take a bow Spanish Brick Company, BAA and Heathrow Airport on IATA’s World Class recognition of your efforts! It will take more than Tony Blair’s former spin doctor, Tom Kelly, who is now BAA’s Head of Public Affairs to spin them out of this one!