BAA not planning to sell airports

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BAA has said it has no intention of selling any of its UK airports.

The airport operator was responding to the Office of Fair Trading's plans, announced in December, to refer airport services to the Competition Commission.

It said the problem for passengers was lack of capacity and not the fact that it owned so many airports.

BAA owns Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Southampton airports in the south of England, and Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen in Scotland.

The firm said the OFT's report did not make a compelling case that the airports would compete or serve consumers better if they were under separate ownership.

The OFT is planning to refer BAA to the Competition Commission when it finishes its eight-week consultation period. It says it has uncovered "poor quality and high charges".

BAA was bought by the Spanish infrastructure company Ferrovial last year.