Macquarie eyes BAA’s airports

Nicole Mezzasalma

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Fraport also believed to have an interest in UK airports

Australian investment bank Macquarie Bank is believed to have approached UK airports operator BAA with a view to buying at least one of its airports in Southeast England. BAA, which was taken over last year by Spanish firm Grupo Ferrovial, is the subject of a UK Competition Commission investigation into its dominance in the country.

The Sunday Express newspaper reported that the Australian bank, which wholly owns specialist retail operator Macquarie Airports, was one of several companies interested in acquiring “one or more” of BAA’s properties. The bank owns five airports, including Bristol and Birmingham in the UK.

German airports group Fraport is also said to have expressed interest, according to the newspaper. The company declined to comment directly on the report, with a spokesperson telling Forbes that Fraport “generally looks into privatisations and sales of airports around the globe”.

BAA could be forced to sell either London Heathrow, London Gatwick or London Stansted as a result of the Competition Commission’s investigation.