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the Planning Inspectorate rejected Gatwick’s draft Development Consent Order (DCO) proposals and recommended an alternative with “a range of controls on operation of the scheme”. The Planning Inspectorate


accepted Gatwick’s £2.2 billion proposal to move its northern runway – currently used for taxiing and in emergencies – on several grounds so it can be used for departures alongside the existing runway. But it also found the proposal


“would cause harm in various areas”, including that it “would have a material effect on achieving carbon targets” and cause harm “in matters of traffic and transport, ecology, noise, the water environment, health and wellbeing, and landscape and townscape”. Crucially, Gatwick’s proposal


would allow the airport to grow to 61 million passengers a year “with no planning controls on the growth”. In that scenario: “The harm . . . would outweigh the benefits and on that basis we recommend refusal.” Instead, the inspectorate


proposed an alternative or ‘recommended’ DCO with “a wide range of detailed planning controls”, including noise mitigation measures, restrictions on the size of aircraft using the northern runway and a requirement that at least 54% of passengers a year travel to the airport by public transport. Gatwick has until April 24 to


respond. Airport chief executive Stewart Wingate suggested the announcement “outlined a clear pathway to full approval” but added: “It’s vital that any planning conditions enable us to make a decision to invest £2.2 billion and realise the full benefits.”


CMA ‘integrity’ warning after merger about-turn


Ian Taylor


The Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) about-turn on the merger of corporate travel giants Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) and CWT “will damage” its reputation, “undermine its credibility” and “give room for speculation about its independence and integrity”. That is according to Norwegian


travel management company Berg-Hansen, a partner of CWT, in an angry response to the CMA announcement in February that GBT’s $570 million takeover of CWT “should be allowed to proceed” (Travel Weekly, February 27). A CMA inquiry group interim


report in November had found the proposed merger, announced last March, was likely to “substantially lessen competition” in corporate travel service provision to global multinationals. But it reversed this decision in a “supplementary interim


Paul Abbott


TMC industry and its customers” and demanded the CMA “revert to its previous conclusion and block the transaction”. The company criticised “the very


report” following “further analysis” and gave industry players just seven days to respond, having suggested the decision was “finely balanced”. In response, Berg-Hansen said


it was “very surprised by the CMA’s U-turn”, describing the arguments used to arrive at the new conclusion “speculative and tendentious”, and warned: “If allowed to stand, it will damage the CMA’s reputation.” It accused the CMA of making


“completely unfounded” and “speculative arguments” to change its view of the effects of the merger, which “would be disastrous for the


short period afforded interested parties to submit comments” and accused the CMA of “speculative guesswork” and “using rumours and unfounded opinions to support ill-conceived conclusions”. It noted: “Berg-Hansen is a


long-time partner of CWT in Norway [where it] services global multinationals on CWT’s behalf.” Berg-Hansen told the CMA:


“If the transaction is allowed, we expect all current CWT partnership agreements to be terminated by GBT . . . thus accelerating the process toward further GBT dominance.” By contrast, GBT and CWT


welcomed the CMA’s “revised provisional conclusion” but said they “do not consider the case to be ‘finely balanced’” in favour of the merger. A final decision is due by March 9.


NCLH posts $910m annual profit on back of strong Q4


Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) reported “strong” 2024 fourth-quarter and full-year results last week with “revenue up 11% year on year to a record $9.5 billion. The cruise line parent group


reported a profit of $910 million, with “strong demand and pricing across our deployment” after


62 6 MARCH 2025


raising capacity by 3% year on year. Fourth-quarter revenue


for last year was also a record at $2.1 billion, 6% up on the previous year despite a 1% reduction in capacity, and net profit for the quarter was almost $255 million – a turnaround of $361 million on the previous year. NCLH reported it “continues


to experience strong demand across itineraries and brands throughout 2025 and into 2026”, with advance ticket sales totalling $3.2 billion at the end of 2024. The company has eight ships on


NCLH president and chief executive Harry Sommer


order – set to bring an additional 25,000 berths – and reported a net debt of $12.9 billion at the year end, down from $13.66 billion at the end of December 2023.


travelweekly.co.uk


PICTURE: Tom Birtchnell


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