The terrible state of the UK's flagship airport
Follows a letter sent to BAA and DfT over three weeks ago. On a second prompt I received an acknowledgement from BAA but that is it.
To Whom It May Concern,
I have previously written to the BAA to complain about, in particular, a filthy toilet at London Gatwick; and in general, about the general tackiness of our “flagship” airports. I am often appalled at the state of facilities, particularly toilet facilities offered to those passengers not fortunate enough to use the airport lounges (I do not always have that opportunity but it is welcome when available). Terminal 4’s baggage collection area is particularly gross.
My recent experience on return from a business trip from Australia only serves to reinforce my contention that there are serious management failings regarding infrastructure, its maintenance and the attitude to passengers.
I arrived at LHR on Qantas QF 029 at around 1330 on May 16th travelling Melbourne/Heathrow/Newcastle. The aircraft could not pull in to its remote stand since the guidance system had not been switched on; no problem, these things happen. However, even with it working the aircraft could not pull in due to improperly parked cargo equipment on the stand. We finally deplaned at about 1400.
The British Airways bus that conveyed us to Terminal 4 was filthy; worn seats and a dirt-encrusted floor and fittings (I know that BA’s vehicles have little to do with BAA but it gives an impression of general sloppiness at the airport). The Flight Connections bus from Terminal 4 to Terminal 1 was also dirty. I was embarrassed to hear some Australian passengers – rightly – disparaging our shared experience.
Worse, however, was the condition of the “Flight Connections” security area at Terminal 1. There were plastic bottles and other litter strewn about the area. The carpet was dirty, torn and in places repaired with tape.
What sort of impression does this give visitors to the United Kingdom?
I am fortunate to travel to many places around the world and most airports I use – even those in countries we consider “Third World” – have better airport facilities than we have in the UK. In fact, during the trip described above, I used Melbourne and Hong Kong, both examples of clean and tidy airports. One does not have to travel far to see how to make an airport look good; visit Amsterdam, Brussels, Helsinki, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Düsseldorf, Köln, Frankfurt or Helsinki if you fancy a day out.
Further away, Almaty and Karachi are decent airports; we do not have to discuss Dubai or Singapore. They all make Heathrow and Gatwick look like what they are: shabby and unkempt shopping centres.
If you deign to reply, kindly do not offer platitudes about forthcoming improvements. What matters is the state of the airports and the level of service offered to passengers today.