BAA LAUNCHES YET ANOTHER APPEAL OVER STANSTED

BAA has announced that it has initiated appeal proceedings against the Competition Appeal Tribunal’s judgment of 1 February 2012, upholding the Competition Commission’s ruling that BAA must sell Stansted Airport. This means that the uncertainty over the future ownership of Stansted Airport is set to continue for at least another six months. Once again, BAA has waited until the very last day before lodging its appeal – just a few hours before the deadline.

 

ISSUED BY STOP STANSTED EXPANSION

29 February 2012

BAA has this afternoon [29 February 2012] announced that it has initiated appeal proceedings against the Competition Appeal Tribunal’s judgment of 1 February 2012, upholding the Competition Commission’s ruling that BAA must sell Stansted Airport.

This means that the uncertainty over the future ownership of Stansted Airport is set to continue for at least another six months. The legal battle has already lasted for three years and this was preceded by three years of investigation into BAA by the Office of Fair Trading and the Competition Commission.

Once again, BAA has waited until the very last day before lodging its appeal – just a few hours before the deadline.

BAA’s last appeal was dismissed by the Competition Appeal Tribunal on all five grounds.

Stop Stansted Expansion’s Economics Adviser Brian Ross commented:  “True to form, BAA has again waited until the final day before lodging this appeal, lending weight to the argument that it  does not expect its legal challenge to succeed and is merely seeking to delay the conclusion of the legal proceedings for as long as possible.”

He concluded:  “It’s clear that BAA wants to cling onto Stansted for as long as possible but with every day that passes Stansted is losing customers and jobs and for any future owner becoming a weaker competitor for BAA’s Heathrow Airport.”

 


More information on Stansted Airport at

Stop Stansted Expansion  (SSE)

The website contains a huge amount of information about the airport, and the campaign against increase in noise another nuisance, as well as opposition to building of another runway.

Recent news about Stansted airport at  Stansted Airport News

including:

 

Stansted sale: BAA loses appeal against ruling

February 1, 2012   BAA has lost its appeal against a ruling by the Competition that it must sell Stansted airport. The CC first ruled 3 years ago that BAA’s dominance in London and Scotland meant it must sell Gatwick, Stansted and either Glasgow or Edinburgh airports. BAA continued to fight the Stansted decision. Its appeal has now been dismissed by the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal, a judicial body whose panel is made up of judges and industry experts. BAA had argued that Stansted served a different market from Heathrow, and are used by different airlines, so they argued it was not anti-competitive for it to operate both airports. BAA does not want to have to sell Stansted in such an unfavourable economic climate.   Click here to view full story…

 

BAA agrees finally to sell back the 279 houses it has been hanging onto at Stansted

January 31, 2012    BAA has finally agreed to sell back all the 279 houses around that airport that it bought, when hoping to build a second runway. Most were bought around 8 years ago, but some as much as 30 years ago. But there is no timescale yet for the sales. This is a major shift in the company’s position; in March 2011, Mr Matthews declared that just some of the BAA-owned houses around the airport would be sold, whilst those which might one day be needed for a 2nd runway would be retained. However, BAA is still refusing to sell back the houses it owns around Heathrow on the grounds that they might one day be needed to make way for a 3rd runway there. Stop Stansted Expansion welcomed the news, which is long overdue, and will help remove the blight and uncertainty which has overshadowed the community for far too long.     Click here to view full story…

BAA ordered to sell Glasgow or Edinburgh airport before selling Stansted

October 8, 2011    BAA has been told by the Competition Commission that it must sell either Edinburgh or Glasgow before it sells Stansted. Earlier this year it had said BAA should sell Stansted first, but BAA appealed which has caused delay. So now the sale of one of the Scottish airports must be brought forward, and will begin soon, as it will take longer for Stansted to be sorted out. BAA says it is now clearer than ever “that Heathrow & Stansted serve different markets.”    Click here to view full story…

BAA considers appeal to EU human rights court over forced ‘fire sale’ of two airports

25th July 2011    BAA is considering appealing to the European Court of Human Rights in a last-ditch attempt to avoid having to sell 2 airports, saying having to sell them now is unfair as they will fetch a poor price. Last week the CC issued what it claimed was a final ruling, after years, that BAA must sell Stansted and Edinburgh or Glasgow.  BAA’s Spanish owner, Ferrovial, is considering a judicial review, which even if unsuccessful could delay a sale process until 2012.    Click here to view full story…

BAA must sell off two airports

19th July 2011     The Competition Commission has givenits final ruling, that BAA must sell 2 of its UK airports – Stansted followed by either Edinburgh or Glasgow. The sale process will start in 3 months “or sooner if undertakings are accepted from BAA in the meantime”, the CC said. This follows a provisional ruling on the sales made in March this year and ends a two-year saga which began in March 2009 when the CC made what was seen then as a final report on BAA’s airport ownership.  Click here to view full story…

SSE says: Time for BAA to accept defeat at Stansted

19th July 2011    Stop Stansted Expansion has condemned BAA’s suggestion that it will apply for judicial review of today’s final verdict from the Competition Commission ordering BAA to sell Stansted Airport by the end of next year.  SSE say the uncertainty has gone on far too long and BAA should now respect the CC’s ruling and the courts and sell Stansted as quickly as possible.  BAA should not be allowed a repetition of the previous lengthy appeal process.   Click here to view full story…

BAA set for legal fight if ordered to sell airports

18th July 2011   BAA could seek a judicial review against the Competition Commission if, as expected, it is ordered to sell Stansted and one of its Scottish airports. The CC indicated earlier this year in a preliminary review of a 2009 ruling that it was still minded to order the forced divestments in order to increase competition in the airport market in south-east England and Scotland. The final report on 19th is expected to give BAA 18 months to arrange an auction. Click here to view full story…

BAA told by Competition Commission to sell 2 airports – welcomed by SSE

30th March 2011     BAA has been told by the CC that it should sell Stansted and either Glasgow or Edinburgh airports. BAA has mounted a string of legal challenges to try to keep them ever since the commission initially ruled in 2009 that it must sell 3 of its 7 UK airports. The commission said its decision was “fully justified” and it would publish its final verdict in May or June. Stop Stansted Expansion says “Don’t prolong the agony” and sell Stansted soon, to remove the blight.    Click here to view full story…