BAA anticipates further retail growth in 2005

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The group aims to grow net retail income per passenger by 1% this year

BAA has anticipated that it will grow net retail income per passenger by 1% in 2005. The company stated its aim in a statement issued before the UK airports group enters a closed period ahead of announcing its results for the six months to the end of September 2005.

In the five months to the end of August, BAA's seven UK airports handled a total of 66m passengers, up 2.6% on the same period last year. Traffic growth of around 3% is forecast for the full year.

The company said that operating expenses—notably utility costs and business rates—had risen as expected and that it was continuing its work to minimise the impact over the year. 

The London Heathrow terminal 5 project is now over 65% complete, said BAA, and remains on budget and ahead of schedule. The group also confirmed that it is participating in the tender process for Budapest Ferihegy airport. The deadline for binding bid submissions is November 2 2005.