Stansted Airport bosses to appeal Competition Commission order

STANSTED bosses have confirmed that they will appeal a decision by the Competition Commission ordering it to sell the airport. BAA was told earlier this year that it holds a monopoly on airport ownership in the UK and is to sell three of its facilities –

STANSTED bosses have confirmed that they will appeal a decision by the Competition Commission ordering it to sell the airport.

BAA was told earlier this year that it holds a monopoly on airport ownership in the UK and is to sell three of its facilities - Stansted, Gatwick and either Edinburgh or Glasgow airports - within two years

However, BAA said it is applying to the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) to review the CC's report on two separate grounds; that the ruling did not take into account the "adverse financial impact of introducing competition, in particular by requiring BAA to sell three airports within two years in the current financial and economic circumstances", and that it was "affected by apparent bias".

"This is because of links between a member of the Competition Commission panel and an organisation interested in acquiring the airports that BAA is required to sell," BAA said in a statement.

The CAT will publish a notice on its website summarising the appeal in the next few days, while BAA is pushing ahead with its attempts to sell Gatwick.