the CAA said - Heathrow Airport

CAP 1027
Chapter 12: Regulatory Incentives - Operational Resilience
respect to the continuity of airport operation services.
12.21 The CAA notes that the issue of operational resilience has some
parallels in other regulated sectors.
• Gas transporters must provide enough pipeline capacity to meet
demand in a 1 in 20 year winter.
• The National Grid must maintain and efficient, coordinated and
economical system of electricity transmission.
• In telecoms, the provider must take all necessary steps to maintain
a proper and efficient network, with the fullest possible availability
of the network and services provided in the event of catastrophic
failure or force majeure.
• The Royal Mail is required to develop a contingency plan and to
review it every two years.
• Network Rail does not have a specific resilience condition but it is
required through its price control to provide a specified level of
performance where Network Rail must plan for the risk of adverse
conditions.
• The NERL licence also includes a requirement to provide core
services and to maintain its assets, business and personnel so that
it can carry out its activities.
Principles upon which to base the licence condition
An overarching focus on user outcomes
12.22 The draft licence condition sets a high level outcome requirement for
HAL to secure the availability and continuity of airport operation
services to further the interests of passengers and cargo owners so
far as is reasonably practicable, taking into account all relevant
circumstances. This means that it is clear that responsibility and
accountability for performance rests with HAL. The licence will make
it clear that merely complying with more detailed obligations relating to
planning and consultation (as set out below) will not be considered as
sufficient if there is evidence of HAL underperforming in a way that
causes detriment to passengers.
12.23 However, in assessing this evidence, the CAA may take into account
other factors such as the extent to which other parties contributed to
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