WITH Heathrow Airport set to add a third runway, there are growing fears that it could increase the price of flights.
Airlines warn that the planned expansion could result in a £250 price increase for passengers on a family fare.
With the expansion set to cost £33billion, The Times has reported that airlines are “seriously worried” that Heathrow’s landing charge will increase to pay back the cost of the project for investors.
Their landing fees are already the highest in the world.
In July 2025, Heathrow Airport proposed to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to increase airport charges to fund the expansion.
The average charge over the next five years could increase to around £33.26 per passenger, up from the current average of £28.46 per passenger.
Now, The Times added that airline bosses have pointed out that the cost of the project would add “at least” £60-£65 to average ticket prices.
This means that the additional cost for a family of four could be as much as £250.
Officials from IAG – the parent company of British Airways, Iberia, Vueling and Aer Lingus – raised their concerns to Downing Street.
Another group called ‘Heathrow Reimagined’ have written to Rachel Reeves about the expansion.
The letter raised points that going ahead with the current model will “deliver a scheme which negatively impacts connectivity, competitiveness and the wider UK economy“.
It added that increased charges that are “already the highest in the world” would undermine the “government’s commitment to reduce the cost of living.”
The letter was signed by the boss of IAG, the chief of Virgin Atlantic and the director-general of the airline trade body International Air Transport Association (Iata).
However, a Heathrow spokeswoman told The Times: “Expansion provides a rare opportunity to drive real economic growth for the UK and deliver value for future generations of passengers.
“With demand consistently outpacing supply, incumbent airlines currently compete to charge a premium and the evidence speaks for itself: airfares at Heathrow have risen by 30 per cent in real terms since 2014, whilst the airport passenger charge has decreased by 19 per cent.”
They added that the analysis has “shown fares will be lower with expansion than without it” and said that they did not “recognise those numbers nor have we seen calculations that would support them.”
The huge expansion for the UK’s busiest airport was given the green light in November 2025.
The Heathrow proposals involve building a 3,500-metre runway which will require a new M25 tunnel and bridges to be built 130 metres west of the existing motorway.
The expansion is estimated to cost £33billion which includes building a 3,500 metre runway.
It will see Heathrow’s capacity increase to 756,000 flights and 150 million passengers per year.
The project has received government backing and is moving forward, but it has not yet received final planning approval or development consent.
Heathrow Airport is making other big changes this year…
London Heathrow will undergo a series of developments this year starting with Terminal 2 and 4…
The airport will improve the passenger experience by using AI-technology and has plans to make flights more punctual along with better baggage facilities.
Heathrow Airport revealed it will start upgrading Terminal 4 next year costing £1.3billion.
The first step will be building a new multi-storey car park and upgrading its check-in area.
The works will be phased to ensure that there’s no disruption to the running of Terminal 4 – and these are expected to be completed in 2031.
Over in Terminal 2, Heathrow has announced that work will also begin on a new baggage system that will be able to handle 31,000 bags each day.
In order to speed up flights and improve punctuality, it will install AI-powered turnaround tech. This will involve a network of cameras being installed across Heathrow.
Using AI to analyse data, the airport will speed up turnaround times between flights, which will make journeys more punctual.
Coverage is expected to be across all terminals by the end of 2026.