Ryanair welcomes call to break up BAA 'monopoly'

Ryanair have welcomed the UK Competition Commission’s recommendation for the break-up of the BAA "monopoly" over London airports.

Ryanair claims the "monopoly" ignored the needs of airlines and the travelling public and charged rip off prices for abysmal services.

Ryanair has called on the British government to implement the Competition Commission’s recommendations.

Speaking today in London, Ryanair’s Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs, Jim Callaghan, said: "Ryanair welcomes the Competition Commission’s comprehensive report into the market power of the BAA monopoly and fully endorses its findings. Competition works - monopolies don’t.

"BAA’s monopoly control over the London airports has been highly detrimental to competition and consumers.

"BAA has long ignored the needs of its airline users and the travelling public and provided inefficient, gold-plated facilities, encouraged by an ineffectual regulator, the CAA. Stansted is now the most expensive, by a considerable margin, of Ryanair’s over 150 airports around Europe.

"BAA’s plans to waste a further £4bln. on a second terminal and runway at Stansted, when such facilities could be built for a fraction of that cost, is further evidence of their abusive monopoly and will lead to even higher prices for consumers," he added.