Behind the 'Heathrow hassle': A political and cultural economy of the privatized airport

Abstract

I seek to specify the nature of the regulation and management of airport space, drawing on a case study of London Heathrow, and discuss the public and corporate discontent with the airport's owners and operators, BAA, over the condition of the airport. I examine the linkages between economic and organizational discourses of airport management and ownership, and the internal economy of (dis) organization that has underpinned Heathrow's poor image, aligning this with the highly leveraged and government-regulated financial regimes that BAA and Heathrow operate within. I argue that a detailed engagement with the political and cultural economy of the airport is required to understand the functioning of such significant strategic spaces within cities. © 2010 Pion Ltd and its Licensors.