Heathrow’s bid to raise charges to cover £2.6bn Covid costs rejected

Airport may have to turn to shareholders for cash after Civil Aviation Authority decision

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Heathrow may have to turn to its sovereign wealth fund shareholders, including those from Qatar, China and Singapore, for a cash injection after the UK aviation regulator blocked its disproportionate" bid to raise airport charges to recoup 2.6bn lost during the pandemic.

However, airlines reacted with anger as the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) still permitted a smaller rise of 300m in 2022, and warned that the money would be passed on to passengers in higher fares.