Heathrow shareholder CIC mulls stake sale amid Middle East traffic disruption

(Sharecast News) - Sovereign wealth fund Chinese Investment Corporation has reportedly put its 10% shareholding in Heathrow on "active watch" amid worries about the cost of a third runway, as the airport continues to grapple with uncertainty caused by the Middle East conflict. According to the Financial Times, which cites people "with knowledge of its thinking", the CIC is concerned that the costs of building a new runway and terminal infrastructure - currently estimated at £33bn - have made the investment case less appealing.

The fund had reportedly held discussions last year with advisors over a potential stake sale, though nothing has yet been decided.

CIC first invested in Heathrow back in 2012, and owns the airport alongside Ardian (32.61%), Qatar Investment Authority (20.00%), Public Investment Fund (15.01%), GIC (11.20%) and Australian Retirement Trust (11.18%).

Heathrow is currently waiting on a new regulatory model from the Civil Aviation Authority within the coming weeks about how much it can charge airlines for landing fees, as a way to mitigate the investment costs of the new runway. However, there are concerns that the final bill for the expansion could be far higher given the significant works involved, such as relocating part of the M25.

The latest developments come as the airport warned that traffic would be affected this year by ongoing tensions in the Middle East.

Over the first three months of 2026, passenger numbers have still risen 3.7% year-on-year, as Heathrow "temporarily absorbed demand from elsewhere". That helped first-quarter revenues rise 2.3% to £844m.

However, the airport announced that "passenger numbers for the rest of the year are likely to be impacted whilst there is significant uncertainty in the Middle East".