STANSTED airport owner BAA will not be forced to sell the Essex hub after winning an appeal against a competition commission (CC) ruling today (Monday). A CC tribunal reviewed a claim by BAA that the decision to force a sale was affected by apparent bias

STANSTED airport owner BAA will not be forced to sell the Essex hub after winning an appeal against a competition commission (CC) ruling today (Monday).

A CC tribunal reviewed a claim by BAA that the decision to force a sale was affected by "apparent bias" and came down in favour of the UK's largest airport operator.

A major factor in the ruling was BAA proving that Professor Peter Mozier, one of the CC airports' inquiry panel had a connection to the Manchester Airport Group which had been interested in buying Gatwick.

However, BAA's appeal on the grounds that the CC had not properly taken into account the effects the recession would have on the sale of the airports failed.

Effectively the news paves the way for a start of the public enquiry into second runway proposals at the airport - however they may be postponed until after a General Election because the Conservative Party have already announced that they would not support any expansion at Stansted.

BAA was originally forced to sell Gatwick (which it already has for �1.5billion) Stansted and either Edinburgh or Glasgow following the CC decision in March 2009.

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