Competition watchdog set to repeat airports sale call

Competition chiefs are tomorrow expected to stand by their decision to call for under-fire airport operator BAA to sell Gatwick and Stansted Airports.

Much-criticised Spanish-owned BAA has already put Gatwick in West Sussex up for sale following a Competition Commission (CC) report last summer as part of its investigation into UK airport ownership.

In another provisional report tomorrow ahead of a final ruling in March 2009, the CC is likely to reiterate its position about the Gatwick and Stansted sale as well as the sale of either Edinburgh or Glasgow Airports, which are also run by BAA.

BAA disagreed with the CC’s summer report and disputed the analysis on which it was based. Now, BAA could appeal to the Competition Appeal Tribunal.

BAA also runs Heathrow, Southampton, Glasgow and Aberdeen Airports and, so far, the CC has said that there are competition problems at all seven BAA UK airports “with adverse consequences for passengers and airlines”.

The CC has spoken of BAA’s “lack of responsiveness to the needs of its airline customers” and “lower levels and quality of services for both airlines and passengers”.

A number of parties have expressed interest in taking over the running of Gatwick, including Richard Branson’s airline Virgin Atlantic, which is keen to be part of a consortium.