Review of Airport Charges 2024

Following the release of our annual Review of Airport Charges report, Jacobs was commissioned by Heathrow Airport to run a fleet mix sensitivity analysis. The analysis uses an alternative fleet mix selected by Heathrow that more accurately represents the aircraft currently operating at the airport, compared to the sample used in the 2024 report. This updated mix better reflects newer-generation aircraft, which are actively incentivized through Heathrow’s charging structure.

Of the 50 airports in our sample, 10 include noise-related landing charges. The impact of these charges is most pronounced at Heathrow. Applying the alternative fleet mix results in a 17.3% reduction in Heathrow's Charges Index, meaning the airport is no longer the most expensive in our Airport Charges Index and now ranks second. Other airports showing notable reductions include Brussels (-5.9%), Amsterdam (-5.4%) and Zurich (-5.3%).

Note: In our Review of Airport Charges, we regularly update the fleet mix to reflect the most common aircraft in global operation (across a sample of eight aircraft). The 2025 edition will continue to use a globally representative fleet mix, rather than one specific to any individual airport.