Stansted Airport users welcome Competition Commission announcement

The Stansted Airline Consultative Committee (ACC) this week (Tuesday, 22nd April 2008) welcomed the Competition Commission's emerging view that common ownership of London airports by the BAA monopoly is bad for users.

The Competition Commission's views will not be a surprise to the millions of passengers who have been forced to endure long queues and overpriced appalling service at BAA's London airports. BAA has ignored the interests of Stansted airport users, doubled charges in the last year, plans to build an over specified Taj Mahal, which will unnecessarily consume 800 acres of Essex countryside and double charges once more.

The Competition Commission statement echoes the concerns of the DfT, the OFT and airport users. Only the CAA promotes the notion that all is well. The CAA, which has a duty to protect the reasonable interests of users has effectively capitulated to the monopoly it is supposed to regulate and has failed in its duty to "further the reasonable interests of users".

Speaking today, David O'Brien, Chairman of the Stansted Airline Consultative Committee, said:

"London airport users can confirm that regulation of BAA's London airports monopoly has failed them and that the BAA monopoly stands in the way of competition, efficient and timely airport investment in capacity and decent service levels.

"The Stansted ACC notes the comments today of BAA's Chief Executive who claims that charges "must rise" to increase capacity. This is dishonest monopoly speak. If Tesco were to apply the same arguments as BAA, a pint of milk would now cost £20.

"Members of the Stansted ACC, who compete with each other, have invested billions of dollars in aircraft purchases over the past 10 years and have delivered lower fares each year. Only a monopoly like BAA can take the "charges must rise" approach to its customers and the ACC looks forward to the dismantling of this monopoly along with the introduction of effective regulation".