Response to Competition Commission announcement

The Competition Commission has announced that it has accepted a proposal from BAA to reverse the order of sales in its decision requiring BAA to sell Stansted followed by either Edinburgh or Glasgow airport.

BAA will shortly say which of Edinburgh or Glasgow airports it will sell and then commence preparation for sale of that airport.

BAA will continue with its judicial review proceedings relating to the Competition Commission’s July 2011 decision requiring BAA to divest Stansted. BAA is legally entitled to challenge the Commission’s July 2011 decision and believes it has strong grounds to succeed.

BAA Chief Executive Colin Matthews said:

“We are pleased that the Competition Commission has accepted BAA’s proposal to reverse the order of airport sales in its 2009 decision and 2011 decision.

“BAA has already sold Gatwick and will now sell either Edinburgh or Glasgow airport. Both Edinburgh and Glasgow are great airports with great futures and we will be sorry to see one of them leave BAA.

“We will continue with our judicial review proceedings against the Competition Commission’s decision requiring BAA to sell Stansted.

“We believe the South East airports market has changed and BAA has changed since the Competition Commission’s 2009 decision. It is also clearer now than it has ever been that Heathrow and Stansted serve different markets.”

The sale of Edinburgh or Glasgow would leave BAA with five airports: Heathrow, Stansted, Southampton, Aberdeen, and one of either Edinburgh or Glasgow.