Travel Weekly
Samantha Mayling
15 May 2026
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has launched a consultation on a shortlist of regulatory models that could apply to capacity expansion at Heathrow.
The regulator said this consultation follows a working paper, published in November 2025, which explored whether an alternative model for capacity expansion could better serve the interests of consumers using the airport.
The working paper detailed the case for changing the current regulatory model at Heathrow, a qualitative framework for evaluating options and a longlist of potential regulatory models.
The shortlisted models include:
- Enhancements to the existing framework, with a package of measures to strengthen the current regulatory approach, including improvements to capital expenditure governance, incentives and scrutiny of Heathrow’s procurement processes.
- A longer-term price control model, looking at a longer-term framework for regulation to provide greater flexibility to support cost effective longer-term financing at the airport.
- Competitive delivery models that could create new obligations on Heathrow Airport Limited to competitively tender elements of the capacity expansion programme, while retaining overall responsibilities for the coordination and financing of expansion.
- Alternative developer model that could involve competition from an alternative developer that would design, build, finance, own and operate an asset, such as a new terminal.
