UK airport operator records busiest month

Under-fire UK airport operator BAA had its busiest-ever month in July, it was announced today.

BAA handled a record 15.1 million passengers at its seven UK airports last month – a 0.2% rise on the July 2006 total.

This was despite a 1.7% dip in traffic at Heathrow, where conditions for passengers have led to strong criticism of BAA of late.

There was also a dip of 6.4% last month in passenger numbers at Glasgow airport, following disruption caused by the terrorist attack there at the end of June.

Southampton airport traffic also fell slightly last month – by 0.6%.

But there were increases at Gatwick (up 1.8%), Stansted (up 2.2%), Edinburgh (up 6.3%) and Aberdeen (up 10.6%).

The BAA figures come as speculation grew that the Competition Commission was about to announce an investigation into the company’s ownership of the three biggest south east England airports.

The Office of Fair Trading referred the BAA ownership matter to the commission earlier this year. Airlines have called for a break up of BAA’s monopoly.

Yesterday the Conservatives described BAA as “an airport operator who seems more concerned with running shopping malls than an efficient airport”.