Aviation regulators have called on airlines and airport operators to show "greater co-operation and transparency about service standards" at the UK's two biggest airports.

Passengers at Gatwick and Heathrow airports "deserve better than they have been provided with in recent years", added the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

The comments came as the CAA published its proposals on what airport operator BAA can charge airlines for using Heathrow and Gatwick for the five years from April 2008.

The CAA, which will make a final ruling in March 2008, said charges should increase in real terms by 15.6 per cent, or the equivalent of £11.97 per passenger, at Heathrow in 2008/09 compared with 2007/08 and then by no more than the rate of inflation plus 7.5 per cent for each year until 2012/13.

At Gatwick, the 2008/09 increase would be 8.2 per cent or £6.07 per passengers in 2008/09 with increases of inflation plus no more than two per cent in the following four years.

The figures are close to those recommended earlier this autumn by the Competition Commission.

The CAA said that it agreed with the commission's analysis and recommendations that there should be increased incentives on each airport to deliver higher and consistent service quality and improved infrastructure.

The CAA said a broader range of services should be subject to financial incentives, with enhanced targets for existing incentives, most notably for passenger security processing, average queuing no longer than five minutes, which should deliver a quicker and more reliable experience for passengers.

This follows an adverse finding by the Competition Commission in relation to security queuing and queue times at the airports.

The CAA said that ultimately, passengers' experience of Heathrow and Gatwick would depend not just on BAA's performance, but also on the services delivered by airlines, their agents, and the Border and Immigration Agency.