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Heathrow Airport is in talks with scores of airlines including British Airways about a once-a-decade overhaul of its occupancy – which could lead to some being forced to relocate their long-standing bases.
Sky News has learnt that Heathrow has opened negotiations with the 82 carriers which fly from the airport with a view to implementing operational changes aimed at better using its capacity during the coming years.
The last such set of discussions with carriers is understood to have taken place more than a decade ago.
It was unclear on Wednesday what stage the talks were at, or how fundamental the resulting changes would be, although airlines with major workforces at Heathrow are expected to try to moderate or resist enforced relocations.
By far the most significant operator at Heathrow is BA, which moved into the £4.3bn Terminal 5 in March 2008.
T5 is used exclusively by the airline, and handles more than 30m passengers annually.
Industry sources described the possibility of BA relocating its existing Heathrow home as highly unlikely.
A BA spokesman declined to comment.
Other major airline users of Heathrow include Qatar Airways, American Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Atlantic.
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Sources said Heathrow’s review could lead to a wide-ranging shift in space allocation at the airport.
One industry insider speculated that members of the Star Alliance, which include Air Canada, Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa and which largely operate out of Terminal 2, could be among those affected by the shake-up.
Responding to an enquiry from Sky News, a spokesman for Heathrow said: “Occupancy reviews are a normal part of running the airport – it’s how we ensure we make best use of the space that we have.
“We undertake these reviews usually once a decade to accommodate for changes in…
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