CAA proposes £28.80 midpoint cap for Heathrow charges, rejects £33 request and trims 2027–31 investment plan

The CAA sets a midpoint cap of £28.80 (1% above the current £28.40) and rejects Heathrow’s £33 request, with consultation to November and a final decision in April 2027 — a direct driver of airline unit costs and airport revenue assumptions. See the broader UK fees context (source:ddb690ac-2a6b-432f-badc-261d8c3155fe).

By trimming Heathrow’s 2027–31 investment plan and limiting permitted charge increases, the regulator curtails a key internal funding route for capital projects — a meaningful constraint on the proposed third‑runway timetable and financing (source:4768bbd1-5576-4f66-9ad1-7ae7cf7febbf). For traffic and demand context that underpins Heathrow’s commercial case, see recent UK and Heathrow passenger volume trends (source:f55f47d1-4b7b-46d5-ae1d-ce33706994b6; source:a2108455-82cc-493b-9da8-06c363fc83e8).