Star Alliance airlines join T5 critics

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The rival to British Airways? Oneworld Alliance have voiced concerns over BAA?s announcement that upgrades to London Heathrow?s existing terminals will be delayed while T5 remains on schedule

BAA is facing criticism from Star Alliance airlines after the airport operator admitted that it may be unable provide upgrades to the rest of London Heathrow until 2011, three years after British Airways and its fellow Oneworld partners are housed in the new terminal five. Star Alliance, which includes Lufthansa, United Airlines and Air Canada, had demanded a parity guarantee and the provision of facilities capable of competing with the new terminal, which they claim strengthens Oneworld's attractiveness by reducing transfer times between the partners' connecting flights as well as cutting costs through the single-terminal set-up.

London's Financial Times reported that Star Alliance warned the authority it may face legal action after BAA told the carriers that it was unable to allocate the necessary capital to complete the redevelopment of the rest of the airport until 2011. The row follows complaints from Virgin and bmi british midland late last year that BAA was investing an additional £100m (£179m) to move BA to T5 ahead of schedule. Several carriers have also objected to the fact that BA and its Oneworld colleagues ? including Qantas, Aer Lingus, American Airlines and Cathay Pacific?will be the only airlines to use the modern facility although all carriers' landing charges have been increased.