Ryanair calls for CAA director's resignation
Ryanair has called on Harry Bush, the CAA's director of economic regulation, to resign following the UK Competition Commission's (CC) final report on BAA.
The CC today (March 19) confirmed BAA must sell three of its seven UK airports - Gatwick, Stansted and either Glasgow or Edinburgh. (see news story: BAA ordered to sell three airports)
Ryanair, Europe's largest low cost carrier (LCC), said Mr Bush's position was "now untenable and he should resign or be sacked."
"We once again call on failed regulator Harry Bush to resign as the CC report once again highlights his abject failure to effectively regulate the out of control and abusive BAA Monopoly," said Jim Callaghan, Ryanair's director of legal and regulatory affairs.
"The BAA monopoly has done enormous damage to competition and the travelling public and Ryanair welcomes the CC's recommendation."
Ryanair, which operates out of Stansted, said the "groundbreaking" decision would open up competition between London's airports.
Europe's second largest LCC easyJet, which operates from all the airports to be sold, also welcomed the ruling.
Andy Harrison, easyJet's ceo, said the CC had uncovered "regulatory gaming by BAA" and "profound weaknesses" in airport regulation.
"The break-up of BAA has been the inevitable outcome of these failures, but break-up alone will not resolve the problems of individual monopoly airports," he added.
"The responsibility now rests with Government, in its current review, to ensure that airports and regulation are not allowed to fail airlines and their passengers again."
Last year Mr Harrison said airports such as Gatwick would remain as "local monopolies" regardless of who owns them.
He said any new owner would continue to exploit weak regulations and called for more airport capacity in the South East of England.
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