News

Ryanair “withdraws from Stansted sale process”

10 Oct 2012 by BusinessTraveller
Ryanair says it has withdrawn from the sale process of Stansted airport, citing the current owner’s decision to exclude the low-cost carrier from the process. The airline - which accounts for nearly 70 per cent of Stansted’s traffic - said that it had been advised by BAA’s owners Ferrovial that it would “exclude Ryanair (and any Ryanair related consortium) from the Stansted sale process”. Ryanair’s spokesperson Stephen McNamara said the airline regretted Ferrovial’s decision, “and the failure of the Competition Commission to restrain this anti-competitive and anti-customer behaviour by Ferrovial”. As a result the carrier says it has “written to all investors/consortia it has held discussions with to advise them that Ryanair will not participate in the sale process or seek a minority stake”. The airline also said that it would “continue to explore the rapid traffic growth opportunities it believes are available at Stansted, if and when the new owner of Stansted reverses the doubling of prices which the BAA/Ferrovial monopoly imposed on Stansted’s airlines and passengers in 2007, which has resulted in a 25 per cent traffic decline at Stansted from 23.8m passengers in 2007, to just 18m passengers in 2011”. BAA agreed to sell Stansted airport in August, following a three-year battle against the UK’s competition authorities (see online news August 20). For more information visit ryanair.com, stanstedairport.com, baa.com. Report by Mark Caswell
Loading comments...

Search Flight

See a whole year of Reward Seat Availability on one page at SeatSpy.com

Business Traveller March 2024 edition
Business Traveller March 2024 edition
Be up-to-date
Magazine Subscription
To see our latest subscription offers for Business Traveller editions worldwide, click on the Subscribe & Save link below
Polls