BAA passenger numbers fall

Across BAA’s airports, which includes London Heathrow, traffic has fallen by 2.8 percent having made a net loss of £1.95bn in 2008 compared to an £86m profit from the previous year,

Ferrovial, the Spanish owners of BAA, may still have to concede a break up as Britain’s anti-trust regulator publishes a final report on the company’s dominance of UK airports, especially in the South East.

With passenger traffic down, due to the reduction in demand, the company faces a difficult trading year, even though oil prices have settled.

At present, the sale of Gatwick Airport is on schedule with bids having already been accepted, although the company has remained tight lipped over any move over Stansted until the Competition Commission review.

Chief Executive Colin Matthews said that BAA had a strong 2008 and this year’s trading figures are undoubtedly going to be affected by the current economic downturn as trading will be affected by the drop in passengers.

Stansted has been hardest hit, with a fall of 6 per cent as airlines reduced their operations, as well as being hit by the loss of carriers Maxjet and Eos.

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