BAA lawyers start airport sale appeal
AIRPORT owner BAA will today challenge the Competition Commission’s (CC) ruling to make it sell three of its seven UK airports.
The CChad said Spanish-owned BAAshould dispose of Gatwick, Stansted, and either Glasgow or Edinburgh, as it dominated the UK airport market.
But BAA, eager to hold on to Stansted airport at least, is challenging the move.
It claims the CC’s demands are unlawful because of alleged links between Peter Moizer, a member of the CC panel, and an organisation which had voiced interest in buying Gatwick – which BAA put up for sale last year in a pre-emptive move to appease the CC. Mozier stepped down from the panel days before the ruling was published.
The airport owner is also opposing the move because it is worried it won’t get enough for its assets in the slump. That said, it seems to be willing to part with Gatwick as soon as this week, even if it doesn’t get a premium price.