the CAA said - Heathrow Airport

CAP 1027
Chapter 15: A Licence for HAL
15.26 There were several public interest conditions included in the Q5
determination for HAL that reflected previous adverse findings by the
CC. Aside from the conditions on the transparency of charges for
certain other services and the SQR scheme, the CAA does not
consider that maintaining the other conditions in Q6 would be
consistent with its statutory duties, in particular, in relation to Better
Regulation principles, or with its new duties as regards regulatory
burdens. Under AA86, the CAA was constrained in removing public
interest conditions once they had been imposed. Those constraints
no longer apply.
Provision of information desks
15.27 Following a complaint by BA in relation to Terminal 4, in 1996 the
Monopolies and Mergers Commission (predecessor to the CC) found
that HAL had acted against the public interest by refusing to allow
information desks in airside departure lounges in a position
acceptable to airlines, other than at rents which reflected commercial
income forgone. The CAA imposed a condition on the airport operator
so that at least one information desk would be provided airside in
each terminal at a location selected after consultation with airlines at a
charge equal to the standard rate for information desks elsewhere in
the airport.
15.28 This particular issue appears to have been a one-off incident. The
CAA considers that advances in technology have provided new
sources of information since 1996, so that the provision of a manned
desk in each terminal may not be the most appropriate way of
providing information to passengers. Instead, information available on
smartphones, or via social media or on interactive screens may
become the normal way by which passengers obtain information.
15.29 As the public interest finding was about only one incident in 1996, the
CAA does not consider that it would be proportionate to impose a
licence condition to protect against the risk of a similar incident
occurring in the future. There is also a risk that such a condition might
inhibit innovation in the ways of providing information to passengers.
Nevertheless, the CAA is keen for HAL to ensure that, in the context
of operational resilience and service disruption, it has effective ways of
ensuring passengers receive timely, useful and appropriate
information (see chapter 12).
April 2013 Page 237