BAA airports market investigation: a report on the supply of airport services by BAA in the UK - Tapa blanda

This is the CC's final report on the investigation into whether there is a long-term competition problem or problems in the airports market. During the period of this market investigation a number of other significant inquiries into the airports sector have been, or are being, conducted by the CC or other organisations. This report has been conducted separately from these other inquiries. However, where they are relevant, they have been taken into account. The reference under the Enterprise Act 2002 by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) required the Competition Commission (CC) to investigate whether any feature, or combination of features, of the markets or markets for airport services in the UK as exist in connection with the supply of airport services by BAA prevents, restricts or distorts competition in connection with the supply or acquisition of any goods or services in the UK or a part of the UK. The key questions considered in the report are: is there currently competition, for both airlines and passengers, between the BAA airports and other airports; is there scope for competition to develop between BAA airports; what are the current constraints preventing the development of competition; and, can any aspects of BAA's performance be attributed to a lack of competition to BAA from other non-BAA airports. To answer these questions the report looks at: actual and potential competition; capacity and capacity constraints; the impact of planning and government policy; and, economic regulation and the role of BAA (including the implications of its ownership of seven airports). After outlining its findings, the report makes its conclusions on the features that give rise to adverse effects on competition (AECs) and considers appropriate remedies to address these AECs.