UK’s busiest airport gets Saudi investment from Newcastle United owners

December 1, 2023

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Ferrovial will exit its 25% shareholding in Heathrow after 15 years of investment
The Spanish infrastructure group has owned a share of the airport since 2006 and announced its intention to sell it last year

LONDON: The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) – the sovereign wealth fund that owns Newcastle United – and French company Ardian have struck a deal to acquire a quarter of Heathrow Airport from Ferrovial, a Spanish infrastructure firm. The PIF will take a 10% stake and Ardian will take a 15% stake in Europe’s busiest airport, which has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. Ferrovial will exit its 25% shareholding in Heathrow after 15 years of investment.

The airport’s biggest shareholder, Ferrovial, will sell its 25% stake in Heathrow for nearly £2.4 billion, after seeing a strong recovery in passenger numbers since last year. The Spanish infrastructure group has owned a share of the airport since 2006 and announced its intention to sell it last year. Heathrow welcomed seven million travellers in September, a 19% increase from the same month in 2022. The deal is subject to regulatory approval before it is finalised. The buyers are the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) – the sovereign wealth fund that also owns Newcastle United – and Ardian, a French investment firm. The PIF will acquire a 10% stake and Ardian will acquire a 15% stake in Europe’s busiest airport, which has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The PIF will join the Qatar Investment Authority as another sovereign wealth fund that has a stake in Heathrow’s parent company FGP Topco.

With more than 700 billion US dollars in assets, the PIF is a major investor in various sectors, including transport, technology and sports. The fund, which owns stakes in companies like Uber, Tesla and Newcastle United, is under the direct authority of Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia. His regime has faced international criticism for its record on human rights issues.

Ferrovial Airports’ chief executive Luke Bugeja said the company had played a key role in transforming Heathrow over the past 17 years, along with its co-investors. He highlighted the £12 billion investment, the construction of Terminal 2, and the improved operational performance that made Heathrow the most connected and busiest airport in Europe.

Heathrow’s new chief executive, Thomas Woldbye, who took office on Wednesday, vowed to make the airport “even better for our customers and the British economy”. He said he was “humbled” by the opportunity to lead Heathrow, after running Copenhagen airport in Denmark. He succeeded John Holland-Kaye, who had been at the helm of Heathrow for more than nine years.

Thomas Woldbye, the new chief executive of Heathrow, has a big task ahead of him as he oversees billions of pounds worth of upgrades to the airport’s facilities over the next three years. Some of the projects include a new baggage system in Terminal 2 and 3D security scanners.

He said he was “humbled” by the chance to lead Heathrow, which he described as “the UK’s hub airport that is the envy of much of the world”. He added: “As I spend my first days getting to know the colleagues and team Heathrow partners who make it a success, I’m looking for how we can make Heathrow even better for our customers and the British economy.” He took over from John Holland-Kaye, who had been in charge of Heathrow for more than nine years.

The airport is showing signs of recovery after the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns severely affected travel. For the first time, its passenger numbers in September exceeded the pre-pandemic levels, reaching over seven million, which is a 22% increase compared to the same month in 2019. The total traffic for the year so far is more than 59 million, which is almost a third higher than in 2022.