BAA have finally relented to the Competitions Commission’s ruling and has decided to dispose Edinburgh Airport and retaining Glasgow airport in it’s portfolio.
According to BAA, it is:
“commencing preparations for a sale and expects to formally approach the market in the New Year with a view to agreeing a sale by Summer 2012”.
BAA has been stalling, umming and ahhing, and finally concluded that whilst Edinburgh airport has had 6% more traffic in the past year, Glasgow has opportunities for growth which appeal to BAA.
Meanwhile, BAA has been told still must divest itself of Stansted Airport- something it is unwilling to do, and is requesting a judicial review into the requirement of selling it. BAA already has had to shed Gatwick airport due to monopoly rulings, and loosing Stansted will leave them with one small unimportant airport – London Heathrow…
The Edinburgh Tourist Action Group hope to increase tourism by a third by 2020. This has to be welcomed by potential investors in to Edinburgh Airport. Whether the airport is allowed to expand further is a different matter.