Ryanair condemns BAA monopoly’s latest appeal against ruling to break-up London and Scottish Airport
15-Nov-2010 Ryanair, the UK’s favourite airline, today (15th Nov) condemned the BAA monopoly decision to appeal the recent Court of Appeal ruling that the BAA airport monopoly’s London and Scottish airports should be broken up to deliver increased competition and a better deal for consumers.
This BAA monopoly appeal will cause further delay to the inevitable break-up of its control over London and Scottish airports and the eventual sale of Stansted and one of its two Scottish airports. The BAA monopoly's appeal once again shows that it has no regard for passengers, competition or London and Scottish tourism as it attempts to retain its stranglehold on these airports.
The Competition Commission's original report found that the:
a) BAA's monopoly ownership of Edinburgh and Glasgow had adversely affected competition.
b) BAA's monopoly ownership of Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted had adversely affected competition.
c) The way the BAA monopoly conducted its business had adversely affected competition.
d) The inadequate regulatory regime operated by the CAA had adversely affected competition.
Ryanair today renewed its call for the early sale of Stansted and one Scottish airport, which will pave the way for lower costs, lower fares and will reverse the traffic collapse which Stansted Airport, in particular, has suffered under the BAA monopoly's mismanagement in recent years.
Ryanair's Michael O'Leary said;
"Ryanair has fought long and hard for the break-up of the high cost, inefficient BAA airport monopoly. The BAA's decision to appeal this issue yet again is simply a delay tactic designed to maximise the amount that this greedy airport monopoly can achieve for Stansted and one Scottish airport, both of which will inevitably be sold.
"Over the past 3 years, traffic at Stansted Airport has declined from a high of 24m passengers to just 18m passengers in 2010. This was entirely due to the BAA's high and rising prices, and the hopelessly ineffective regulatory regime run by the clueless CAA which was long ago captured by the BAA monopoly.
"Ryanair urges the Supreme Court to dismiss this appeal application by this ineffectual and damaging airport monopoly so that we can see the early disposal of Stansted and one Scottish airport, which will transform consumer choice, airport competition and will lower air fares for millions of passengers and visitors to London and Scotland."