On 25/12/2020 09:18, tim... wrote:


"Recliner" wrote in message
...
Arthur Conan Doyle wrote:
Recliner wrote:

Oh, I don't think HAL will be in any hurry to pursue this
opportunity. It
currently has much more pressing concerns. It's much more likely to
prioritise the re-development of the central terminals, given the
current
low demand. With T3 temporarily closed, there may be an opportunity to
close a wing of it permanently, and accelerate the expansion of T2.

This is so true. The costs and impact of trying to change a tyre
whilst moving
vs. being able to take a more optimun approach must be significant.
The question
will be how to finance this when revenues are down from landing fees
and retail
sales.


They want to be able to raise their fees to fund the investment, in
the way
that other regulated utilities do. Needless to say, HAL's biggest
customer,
IAG, which already has plenty of slots, is furious at the idea.

Because it's fundamentally the wrong way to do it

Sainsbury's doesn't put up its prices because it wants to increase the
size of it shops to expand into selling more type of goods

It raises the capital to do that, in the markets, based upon a
prospectus that "promises" the extra income from these new sales will
pay back the loans (with benefits).

Whether those promises are likely to, or not, come to fruition, is for
the banks to evaluate when deciding whether to lend the money, and if
they get it wrong, its the banks shareholders that lose, not the
Airport's current customers.

That way a strictly financial appraisal of the benefits of a scheme are
properly assessed, by the people *qualified* to do it.Â* It isn't just
done because some big-wig head of a corporate happens to be chums with
some politician in an influential position and persuades them to
champion it to Government, over a game of golf.

The argument that LHR is a utility that has to be allowed to expand for
the good of the overall economy is just stuff and nonsense, that
shouldn't enable it to ride roughshod over standard corporate accounting
methodology.

It's a purely commercial organisation - it should be told to play by
normal commercial rules


The point is it is a monopoly, if you want to play you have to pay their
prices.

--
Graeme Wall
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