Heathrow Airport profits up

Heathrow Airport's profits were up by more than ten per cent last year despite facing criticism for long security queues and poor infrastructure quality.

The airport's operating profit rose by £40 million to £438 million in 2007, while profits at Stansted airport, also operated by BAA, rose 68 per cent to £86 million after the company doubled charges for passengers using the airport, according to the Times.

The criticism surrounding Heathrow's profits comes just after the recent chaos with the opening of the new Terminal 5 (T5).

A shareholder said: "We need to be sure that BA is prepared for a deteriorating operational movement. The economy is turning down and fuel costs have turned up."

Heathrow and Stansted are both operated by BAA, which was bought by Spanish builder Grupo Ferrovial SA in 2006 through a holding company called Airport Development and Investment. The holding company filed 2007 accounts with the UK's Companies House last week.