Time to focus on BAA’s dominance in Scotland

THE Competition Commission’s scheduled regulatory health check for BAA’s London airports should make the average Scottish airport user wonder why the same beady eye is not being applied north of the Border.

As a condition of BAA’s privatisation, the government legislated that it should get the once-over from anti-trust watchdogs for its London airports every five years. But no comparable ruling was made for Scotland.

Now with BAA’s three Scottish airports - Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen - all booming, and with an extra runway for one lucky airport on the cards, the issue of BAA’s dominant position becomes a central question.

Landing charges at Edinburgh and Glasgow are among the most expensive in the UK. On top of that, air travellers have been frustrated by the chronic lack of international flights from Edinburgh and only one scheduled route from Scotland to the US.

If BAA was forced to off-load one of its central belt airports, than a much-needed element of competition could be introduced to the market.

This in turn would lead to the two airports lowering charges in a bid to entice new carriers to launch fresh routes into Scotland.

That would provide a welcome boost to passengers and a shot in the arm for the Scottish tourist industry.

It would also introduce a dynamic new element into the question of which airport eventually gets a new runway - a much needed distraction from the political infighting that is guaranteed to blight the decision.