Heathrow Airport Holdings: owner and operator of London Heathrow Airport

Origins and name

The organization began as the publicly owned British Airports Authority and was later privatised and traded under the name BAA Ltd. In 2012 the company adopted the name Heathrow Airport Holdings to reflect its narrower focus on operating Heathrow Airport.

Operations and activities

Heathrow Airport Holdings generates revenue from several sources: charges levied on airlines for use of runways and terminals, fees for ground services, commercial income from retail and food outlets, and income from property and development around airport land. While BAA once managed multiple British airports and even an airport in Italy, its modern operations are centred on Heathrow.

Ownership and corporate structure

The company is privately owned by FGP TopCo Limited, a consortium led by the Spanish group Ferrovial, a firm with a long history in infrastructure projects. The ownership group has included institutional investors such as the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec and GIC Special Investments. Heathrow Airport Holdings was previously a component of the FTSE 100 Index when it was publicly traded, but it is no longer listed on public markets.

Head office

The corporate headquarters are located at The Compass Centre on the grounds of London Heathrow Airport in the London Borough of Hillingdon. The site houses senior management, operational control functions and a range of support teams responsible for running the airport day to day.

Context

• The company has evolved from a multi-airport operator into an organisation focused on a single major international hub.
• Its activities touch many parts of the travel sector, from the provision of infrastructure used by Spanish and other carriers to the management of passenger-facing retail space.