A MEMBER of an inquiry which ruled that BAA must sell three of its airports had a “powerful connection”

to an organisation interested in buying one of them, a Competition Appeal Tribunal was told yesterday.

Nicholas Green, appearing for BAA, told the tribunal that Professor Peter Moizer’s presence meant the Competition Commission (CC) inquiry report was “riven through with an acute and intolerable conflict of interest”.

BAA, which also runs Heathrow, is appealing against the CC’s decision to make it sell three of its airports – Gatwick and Stansted and either Edinburgh or Glasgow.

Mr Green said Professor Moizer was linked to the Manchester Airport Group, interested in buying Gatwick, although stressed that BAA was not making any allegation of bias against him.

Mr Green said BAA was also appealing on the grounds that the CC had not made a proper assessment of the adverse financial impact on BAA of the requirement to sell the three airports within a two-year timetable.

The tribunal continues.