Ryanair criticises ‘BAA monopoly’

Ryanair today (19th May 09) condemned BAA for its decision to appeal the Competition Commission’s recent pro-consumer decision to break up the BAA hold over London’s airports. Ryanair has been a long standing critic of the BAA airport monopoly.

Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary said today:

“The BAA monopoly has done enormous damage to air travel and tourism in Britain through its policy of high and excessive charges, building gold-plated facilities which its passengers don’t want or need, and then providing an abysmal passenger service which at many UK airports comprises long walks, excessive queuing at security and passport control and over-priced shops and restaurants.

“Ryanair is concerned that this appeal by the BAA airport monopoly is just another attempt to delay the introduction of competition, better facilities, better service and lower prices for consumers.

“Like all other anti-consumer monopolies, the BAA airport monopoly wants to preserve its monopoly and block competition. It is remarkable that its grounds for doing so are that competition would have an adverse financial impact on this airport monopoly. This just proves that the Competition Commission was right when it found that the BAA airport monopoly had been damaging for consumers, damaging for competition and damaging for its airline customers.

“The entire airline and passenger community warmly welcomed the Competition Commission’s decision to break up the BAA airport monopoly and apart from a few paid retainers, the BAA couldn’t muster anybody to defend its overcharging airports which have delivered an abysmal service to airlines and passengers over recent years.

“The sooner this airport monopoly is broken up the better. Competition will deliver increased capacity at lower costs, which will deliver a better service for airlines and passengers at the BAA airports. Ryanair and other airlines will strongly support the Competition Commission in opposing the BAA monopoly’s baseless and time delaying appeal”.