BMI in protest over airport landing charges

BMI, one of the UK's biggest airlines, has told the Civil Aviation Authority that it is seeking a judicial review of the CAA's decision to push through increases in landing charges at Heathrow and Gatwick airports.

A letter was sent by BMI last week telling the authority that it wants a review of the process by which the CAA granted airport owner BAA huge price increases. The charges will rise by 23.5 per cent to £12.80 per passenger from this April, and in the next four years they could go up by 7.5 per cent above annual inflation.

The CAA has said the rises are necessary to fund the capital investment that needs to be undertaken by BAA at Heathrow and Gatwick.

BAA came under pressure again last week after it was blamed by Tessa Jowell, minister for London, over the fiasco at Terminal 5. BAA and British Airways have now delayed the transfer of BA's long-haul flights to T5 until June.