Airline complains about charges

RYANAIR has filed a complaint with Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority and Competition Commission about the charges levied against airlines at BAA’s Stansted airport.

Ryanair said it wants BAA to revise the price cap at London Stansted airport. It also said BAA had overcharged airlines for the last five years and had inflated its costs and its regulated asset base.

“BAA Stansted’s regulatory accounts show numerous examples of unexplained costs being transferred to Stansted by BAA and Heathrow which inflates Stansted’s costs and understates Stansted’s profits, while boosting those of the BAA Group and Heathrow,” the company said in a statement.

Ryanair added that BAA had doubled its passenger charges despite suffering a 30% decline in business.

A BAA spokesman said: “Ryanair doesn’t pay a penny more than the regulator allows, and less than they would pay at Gatwick. The charges Ryanair are referring to have been scrutinised by the Competition Commission and comply with the price cap set by the CAA. They have also been in place for two years. We

BAA was told by the Competition Commission it must begin selling Stansted airport and one of its Scottish hubs. The firm is looking to challenge an order with an application to Britain’s Competition Appeal Tribunal.

“It is interesting that the timing of Ryanair’s current complaint coincides with the public debate about whether the Competition Commission’s decision to force the sale of Stansted is the right one,” said BAA.