SubscribeUS government has complained that 2 carriers are being unfairly penalised by fuel rationing Heathrow Airport.
The US government has complained to Britain that two carriers -- American Airlines and United Airlines -- are being unfairly penalised by fuel rationing at London's Heathrow Airport, a State Department official said on Thursday.
John Byerly, a senior State Department official on economic affairs, said that American, United and other non-British international carriers are at a competitive disadvantage because of fuel policies that appear to favour British Airways.
"That's not a fair and equal opportunity to compete," Byerly said in an interview after an industry event. "It can't last that much longer in our view," he said.
An explosion and fire at the London Buncefield oil depot in December knocked out about a third of the fuel supply to Heathrow. Rationing will remain until Britain finds a way to replace the supply.
United and American, the only two US-based airlines permitted by treaty to use Heathrow, are adding extra fuel -- or flying heavy -- on the US-London leg so they can meet rationing requirements and have enough in the tank for the return trip.
The airlines complain that the additional weight means extra costs at a time when carriers worldwide are battling the impact of soaring fuel prices. The situation is most acute for United because it has just emerged from bankruptcy.
Also, Byerly says short-haul European carriers should be more flexible about consuming fuel at Heathrow like US domestic carriers were after Hurricane Katrina disrupted supplies last summer.
(Reuters)
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