London Gatwick Airport Forum | New owners for Gatwick?

http://www.uk-airport-news.info/manchester-airport-news-180308.htm

Could be, MAPLC have stated they are definitely interested. Maybe as a joint venture with a private equity outfit or a bank, but they definitely see gatwick as being an acquisition target.

If they do buy it I hope they don't turn it into their new base and loose interest in MAN

StarMonarA380

http://www.uk-airport-news.info/manchester-airport-news-080908.htm

Virgin seems very keen on getting it's hands on Gatwick.

All over, Gatwick has been bought by a consortium that owns LCY. The big backers are GE and Credit Suisse, so not entirely inexperienced when it comes to airports.

they are reported as wanting to continue to build LGW as a lowcost hub and longhaul IT flight airport, much as it has evolved since Open Skies. The runway expansion also comes due in 2019 when the owners can start applying to build a full second runway.

The plus points on the deal are that it's going to be solidly financed, so no Ferrovial style insecurity. BAA now needs to unload a Scottish airport.

Well it turns out they don't need to unload any more airports as they won an appeal against the decision. The guy in charge of the monopolies commission who ordered them to sell was linked with the owners of Manchester Airport (although no wrong doing has been suggested) therefore just the fact he had been linked to the Monopolies Commission the decision was overturned!!.

It was actually a very tenuous link as well! One of the panel who issued the decision was connected to the Greater Manchester Pension Fund, which provides pensions to employees of the Boroughs and former GMC employees (which would presumably mean airport staff as well).

I am not even sure that GMPF was part of the bid, but the connection to the MAPLC owners was through this person who advises the Fund. The appeal is not a complete rejection of the ruling, from what I can see it is a direction to revisit the issue but ensuring that this time there is no possible conflict of interest. It would still apply to the portion of the decision concerning GLA or EDI being sold if the Panel was to rule in the same way, and MAPLC is very interested in buying one of them.