London: Britain’s Heathrow Airport was told on Wednesday by the aviation regulator it will have to cut the fees it charges airlines over the 2024-2026 period, bowing to pressure from airlines who have long said charges at the hub are too high.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced that Heathrow, Britain’s biggest airport, could charge an average maximum price per passenger of 27.49 pounds ($32.51) in nominal prices over the 2022-2026 period.

Following two years of higher interim prices over 2022 and 2023, which includes a charge of 31.57 per passenger for this year, the CAA said that meant Heathrow charges would fall to about 25.43 pounds per passenger in nominal terms over the 2024-2026 period.

The lower fees will boost airlines such as British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, two of Heathrow’s biggest, making the airport cheaper for them.

They have long complained that fees at Heathrow, the busiest airport in western Europe, are the highest in the world.