Heathrow is a 'national embarrassment', says airline chief

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And the Civil Aviation Authority - the watchdog designed to keep a check on Britain's airports - was named and shamed as 'the world's worst regulator'.

Passengers queue for check-in at the departures hall of Heathrow's Terminal Five in London, during the terminals troubled opening in March

The criticism comes at a bad time for airport operator BAA, which could soon be forced to sell one of its three London airports as the Government looks to break its monopoly. BAA currently runs seven UK airports.

Yesterday's criticism of Heathrow --Europe's busiest airport - and the CAA was made by Giovanni Bisignani, head of the IATA at its annual conference in Istanbul. The IATA represents the interests of more than 240 airlines worldwide.

Giovanni Bisignani says service levels at Heathrow are a 'national embarrassment'

Mr Bisignani's comments come with UK airport and aviation bosses still dealing with the fallout from the shambolic opening of Heathrow's £4.3billion Terminal 5.

He told the conference: 'This year's Worst Regulator Award goes to the UK Civil Aviation Authority. Look at Heathrow; service levels are a national embarrassment but still the CAA increased charges by 50 per cent over the last five years and plans 86 per cent for the next five.

Could anyone in this room ask for a fare increase of 86 per cent? Nobody. That only happens in "Monopoly-land".'

The CAA said it 'agrees that passengers and airlines deserve better service than BAA has provided' and was beefing up penalties as an incentive for it to improve. BAA said it was 'committed to improving services for passengers'.

Last month BA boss Willie Walsh told MPs that the opening of Terminal 5 had been 'a disaster' but said the airport had been 'a national embarrassment for years'.