Is Heathrow Airport Really As Bad As They Say?
Reports have hit the press today which claim that Don Langford, a senior executive with American Airlines and in charge of the group’s European division, has publically stated that Heathrow is the worst airport in Europe and terminal 3 is “a bit of a dump”. So is he correct or just playing politics?
Many people will have a wry smile when they see the quote attributed to Mr Langford, especially when you consider the shocking punctuality record which many US airports have, even compared to Heathrow in its current state. JFK Airport was recently carpeted by the regulators after a period which saw a massive increase in the number of cancelled and delayed flights. We also have the ongoing inspection of US airlines by the FAA who have questioned a number of the safety tests which the US airlines have been carrying out for years – note there has been no UK or European equivalent as yet.
While there is no doubting that the current situation at Heathrow is “disappointing” to say the least, this has not always been the case at the busiest airport in the world. This is an airport which the Americans have had their eyes on for many years, as well as the lucrative landing slots which British Airways dominate. Quite how they managed to miss the auction for BAA when it was sold to Spanish giant Ferrovial is a mystery.
Those in the industry believe that today’s attack on Heathrow is nothing more than a diversionary tactic to deflect attention from the ongoing problems in the US. However, it has to be said that unless BAA are able to get their “house” into order as soon as possible then this crticism may not be the last one we hear from across the pond.