Ryanair Welcomes Competition Commission Report

Ryanair, Britain’s largest passenger airline today (22 April)
welcomed the Competition Commission’s Report on its emerging thinking
into the BAA airport monopoly, and renewed its call on the UK
Government to break up the BAA monopoly which has been bad for
consumers, bad for passengers and is damaging UK tourism. Ryanair
believes that three London airports should be spun out into separate
ownership and encouraged to compete against each other. A similar
solution would improve competition, services and passenger charges at
Glasgow and Edinburgh airports also.

Speaking today, Ryanair’s Peter Sherrard said:

“Ryanair welcomes the Competition Commission’s report into its
emerging thinking. We fully support the Competition Commission’s view
that:

a) The BAA’s monopoly ownership of Edinburgh and Glasgow airports has adversely affected competition.


b) The BAA’s monopoly ownership of Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports has adversely affected competition.


c) The way the BAA monopoly has conducted its business has adversely affected competition”.


d) The inadequate regulatory regime operated by the CAA has adversely affected competition.

The recent chaos at Heathrow’s Terminal 5, the continuing long
passport and security queues at Stansted, and the 47% price increases
at Gatwick Airport clearly proves that the BAA monopoly over the London
airports is bad for consumers, bad for passengers and bad for UK
tourism. The CAA’s recent decision to reward the BAA’s incompetence
with double digit price increases proves again that the CAA is
incapable of regulating the BAA monopoly in the interests of users.

Monopolies don’t work. Competition does. Ryanair had long
called for the break up of the BAA monopoly, because we believe the
competition between the three London airports (Heathrow, Gatwick and
Stansted) would lead to faster delivery of additional capacity at each
of these airports, would lead to real competition between the airports
and this competition will result in better facilities, improved
passenger service (and let’s face it passenger service at the London
airports couldn’t be any worse) and lower costs for UK consumers and
visitors.

The BAA airport monopoly has failed. The CAA regulatory regime
has failed. The Competition Commission has correctly identified this
failure and we again call on the UK Government to break up this failed
airport monopoly and allow competition to put the interests of British
consumers/users first. Competition works, monopolies don’t.”