Stansted Airport owner BAA has launched a legal challenge to the Competition Commission’s ruling that it sells the Essex hub.

BAA says it will be seeking a judicial review of the Commission's decision requiring it to sell Stansted and either Edinburgh or Glasgow airport.

It will be submitting the application for judicial review to the Competition Appeal Tribunal tomorrow (September 16).

Business Weekly reported on July 19 that BAA was considering a legal challenge.

BAA will argue that there have been material changes of circumstances since the Commission’s original 2009 decision – changes the CC has failed to take into consideration.

In BAA’s view the changes are so material that “it is not necessary or appropriate to require BAA to divest Stansted.”

BAA issued a formal statement after news of the legal challenge leaked out in Spain last night.

Spanish infrastructure company Ferrovial, which bought Stansted and had high hopes of expanding its influence across Europe, has been frustrated by opposition to growth from the UK Government.

It has injected billions into Stansted in the hope of being able to create a second runway in line with growth predictions contained in a government White Paper. Other European cities are building new airports to capture the traffic the UK is turning away.