Price caps will remain at Stansted
The Department for Transport has decided to maintain price caps at London Stansted Airport.
Its decision was despite recommendations made last summer by the Civil Aviation Authority that airline charges at Stansted should no longer be regulated.
EasyJet welcomed today’s decision, saying it was a victory for common sense.
Planning director Andrew Barker said: “Ruth Kelly and the Department for Transport officials should be congratulated for protecting air travellers from BAA ripping-off airlines at Stansted.
“They recognise that, without regulation, customers would be at the mercy of a highly-indebted infrastructure owner seeking short-term profit maximisation at the expense of air traveller.
“Rather than simply abandoning the existing regulatory system, the DfT has realised that passengers need protection through a better one and this will be the case whether the ownership structure of BAA is retained or the company is broken up.
“It is now incumbent on the CAA to act on the DfT’s findings and put in place a modern, forward-thinking regulatory system that works and to avoid “de-designation by the back door” at Stansted.
“We will be presenting our proposals to the Competition Commission, which is currently examining many of these issues.”
While Stansted will remain regulated, the DfT has decided to de-regulate Manchester Airport, so that it will no longer be subject to price caps.
A spokesman for the CAA said this was because it operated in a competitive market, with competition from nearby airports including Liverpool and East Midlands.
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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 
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt