T5 troubles affect advertisers.(Terminal 5)

Advertisers may be able to claim compensation from JCDecaux thanks to a shortfall in passenger traffic.

Advertisers could be entitled to claim compensation if the shortfall in levels of passenger traffic at Heathrow's beleaguered Terminal 5 continues.

Jonathan Goldsmid-Whyte, the global chief executive at Kinetic's airport division Aviator, said that if advertisers have committed funds based on forecasts of passengers going through the terminal, they may be entitled to compensation from the airport sales contractor, JCDecaux, if those forecasts are not delivered.

'The clients should get what they are paying for and if it is going on for a long time then that compensation will be in-depth. But BAA will get this sorted out,' he said.

More than 400 flights have been cancelled at T5 since it opened on 27 March and cancellations are expected to continue this week. Major advertisers at T5 include Visa, Nokia and Samsung.

Goldsmid-Whyte added: 'While the situation is unfortunate initially for advertisers, they are running 12- or six-month campaigns. They've committed funds as part of a long-term strategy, rather than launching products on the back of T5. While it is disappointing, most realise it is just teething problems.'

Neil Alldritt, the chairman of PSI Advertising, ...