BAA must sell two more airports
Monopolies watchdog the Competition Commission is to force airports operator BAA to go ahead with the break-up of its portfolio as it ruled two years ago.
The commission has said it should sell London satellite airport Stansted and either Edinburgh or Glasgow Airport, it said in a release.
It has found no evidence of material changes to BAA since its March 2009 decision that would cause it to change its ruling, it said.
“The CC has provisionally concluded that the sale of the airports is fully justified and that passengers and airlines would still benefit from greater competition with the airports under separate ownership,” it said.
It follows the sale of Gatwick airport to new owners last year.
It added that it saw no reason to change the timeframe for the sale of the airports, and will now take responses before announcing a final verdict in May or June.
“We remain convinced that the original decision to require BAA to divest three
airports is the right one for passengers and airlines,” said commission chairman Peter Freeman.