BAA ordered to sell two UK airports
Airports operator BAA has been ordered to sell Stansted and either Glasgow or Edinburgh airports.
BAA has already sold Gatwick but it had challenged the order by the Competition Commission in March 2009 that it should also sell Stansted and one of its Scottish airports. It claims that Stansted serves a different market to Heathrow.
However, the Commission said in its final ruling that it stood by its earlier decision that the Spanish-owned company must offload the Essex airport and either Glasgow or Edinburgh.
BAA said it was dismayed at the decision, which it called 'draconian' and it is now considering a judicial review. The airport operator has already been refused permission by the Supreme Court to appeal further.
The sale of two further airports would leave the company with Heathrow, Southampton and Aberdeen and one other Scottish airport.
The Competition Commission said the sale of Stansted would start in three months' time, and would be followed by the sale of Glasgow or Edinburgh.
"Our report has been challenged, reviewed and upheld and it is clear that the original decision to require BAA to divest three airports remains the right one for customers," said Peter Freeman of the Competition Commission.
The commission said its decision was "fully justified" and passengers and airlines "would still benefit from greater competition with the airports under separate ownership, despite the current government's decision to rule out new runways at any of the London airports".
By Linsey McN
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
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports