BAA could lodge an appeal if regulators force it to sell more than two of its seven UK airport, as well as Gatwick, which it has already been ordered to divest.

BAA is lobbying that it should be allowed to retain both Heathrow and Stansted, as well as its three Scottish airports - Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.However the Competition Commission is expected to stick to its stance in August that BAA may have to sell two of its three London airports and also either Edinburgh or Glasgow. A final decision will be taken in March.

BAA claims that the forced sale of airports will severely delay implementation of government plans to expand runway capacity in the South-east.

BAA may also struggle to realise a good price for airports in the current deflated market.
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