Service levels at Heathrow, Europe's busiest and most congested airport, were a "national embarrassment", Giovanni Bisignani, director-general of Iata, said yesterday.

The International Air Transport Association gave the "worst regulator award" to the UK Civil Aviation Authority, the economic regulator for the three London airports. Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted are all owned by BAA, a subsidiary of Ferrovial of Spain.