Changes to UK business rates threaten airport expansion plans across the land

Governments are often no friend of the air transport business, and especially so of the airport sector.

In the UK the current government has approved multiple airport expansion projects during the past year or so, including the third runway at London Heathrow Airport (a project that is as old as time).

But then it revises the rating system for businesses of all shapes and sizes, relieving them of support based on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which all but saw off the industry.

The consequence is that all of these airport expansion and refurbishment projects will have to be re-examined in the light of these valuations, which will add millions of pounds to bills.

Regional airports, in particular, will be especially impacted, and costs will rise all the way down to the passenger.

This while the government is trying to identify and promote the UK as a global aviation hub.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

The government consistently flip-flops all over the place and already seems set to backtrack on rate rises for some High Street businesses, with more to follow.

Will that have a result of a similar reappraisal for the airports though, or will their bills go up even more?