BOLTON Council leader Cliff Morris has welcomed the possibility that the Manchester Airports Group may buy Gatwick Airport.
The group, which is privately owned by the 10 Greater Manchester local authorities including Bolton, operates Manchester, East Midlands, Bournemouth and Humberside Airports.
It is the second-largest UK-based airport operator.
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Gatwick Airport is owned by BAA, but the Competition Commission has said it is concerned that the Spanish-owned company also owns the London's other two airports, Heathrow and Stansted, and in August may decide to force them to sell one of them.
Gatwick is seen as the most likely airport to be offloaded, with a possible price tag of £2 billion.
MAG's chief executive Geoff Muirhead said recently that he would consider buying if BAA did put the airport on the market. "We would be interested in any assets that come up, on the premise that we feel we could improve the performance of the group on the back of it, at a price that was sensible," he said.
Cllr Morris, who is Bolton's representative on the MAG shareholders' committee, said owning Gatwick and improving the area's links with the South could be good news for the region.
"We have to look at all the options and if Gatwick becomes part of the group it could be very good for Manchester," he said.
MAG privately runs the company on behalf of the 10 shareholding authorities, with Bolton holding a five per cent stake. Last November MAG handed the authorities an interim dividend of £25 million.
[quote]Cllr Morris, who is Bolton's representative on the MAG shareholders' committee[/quote] Presumably this doesn't actually mean he has a personal financial interest? Or does he?
Cllr Morris, who is Bolton's representative on the MAG shareholders' committee
Presumably this doesn't actually mean he has a personal financial interest? Or does he?
Posted by: JoePublic, Bolton on 12:31pm Tue 6 May 08
No he doesn't.
[quote]The group, which is privately owned by the 10 Greater Manchester local authorities including Bolton, operates Manchester, East Midlands, Bournemouth and Humberside Airports.[/quote]
No he doesn't.
The group, which is privately owned by the 10 Greater Manchester local authorities including Bolton, operates Manchester, East Midlands, Bournemouth and Humberside Airports.
Posted by: Bolton Chronicle, Bolton on 6:11pm Tue 6 May 08
I have a fear that higher council tax or even the sell off of more council land would be required to gain the money for the purchase of Gatwick Airport IF it came up for sale.
I have a fear that higher council tax or even the sell off of more council land would be required to gain the money for the purchase of Gatwick Airport IF it came up for sale.
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