Letter: Airports answer

Michael Crosby (Letters, 23 December) presents the break-up of BAA as sort of panacea to the problems at our airports, with the bizarre justification that a Spanish company is not "subservient" to the Prime Minister.

The reality is that airports have not been under the control of the government since the 1980s privatisation. It is farcical to suggest that any other private company owning Edinburgh or Heathrow airport would do anything other than try to make a profit as well.

Passengers like Mr Crosby want cheaper flights, which means airlines demand lower aircraft landing charges, which means airports have to continually lower their costs.

Though I am not a long- suffering frequent flyer, I for one would give credit to my local airport in Edinburgh which, despite huge pressure from the easyJets and Ryanairs of this world, has continued to improve facilities in the terminal whilst attracting more and more routes.

KEVIN LANG

Kingsburgh Crescent

Edinburgh