BAA loses Stansted appeal
Airports operator BAA has lost its appeal against a ruling that it must sell Stansted airport.
The Competition Commission first ruled four years ago that BAA – which owned seven airports in the UK including Heathrow, the biggest – must sell Gatwick, Stansted and one of its Scottish airports.
BAA sold Gatwick and is in the process of putting Edinburgh on the market, but it argued it should be allowed to keep Stansted.
The Spanish-owned operator said the Essex airport did not serve the same market as Heathrow, so it was not anti-competitive for it to operate both Stansted and the UK’s premier hub.
However, the Competition Appeal Tribunal rejected BAA’s argument this morning. The company said it was disappointed by the decision, but said it would carefully consider the ruling before making any further announcement.
Ryanair welcomed the Tribunal’s decision, claiming that BAA has doubled passenger charges at Stansted since it was first ordered to sell the airport. During the same period, Ryanair said passenger numbers had fallen from 24m to 18m.
Ryanair’s head of communications Stephen McNamara said: "During this four year period Ferrovial (BAA’s parent) and BAA Stansted have doubled passenger charges, slashed traffic and have now announced that BAA will pay a divided of €240m to Ferrovial and its other shareholders in 2012.
"Ferrovial and the other owners of Stansted are unfairly enriching themselves at the expense of UK passengers/visitors who are suffering higher charges and third-rate service at Stansted while the CAA’s "inadequate" regulatory regime does nothing to protect airport users."
By Linsey McNeill
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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