BAA may be forced to sell second London airport

The Competition Commission is expected to force BAA to sell a second of its London airports and either Glasgow or Edinburgh airports. It comes despite lobbying from the airport operator that the sale of Gatwick would end its monopoly.

The Commission is expected to reiterate its criticism of the operator and its dominant position in an interim report, due next week. It will renew calls for BAA to sell three of its seven airports. A final judgement in the case will be made in March.

BAA, part of Spanish group Ferrovial, accounts for 84% of passenger traffic in Scotland and 90% in the south-east of England, although it reported an 8.9% drop in the number of air passengers in November compared to same period last year. Gatwick and Stansted airports have seen the largest falls in numbers, which it the biggest drop since September 11 attacks in 2001.