UK airports operator BAA has said it will appeal the UK Competition Commission’s ruling that it must sell both London Gatwick and Stansted and either Edinburgh or Glasgow International, claiming the decision was both “affected by apparent bias” and failed to account for the current economic climate.

BAA is asking the Competition Appeal Tribunal to review the March ruling and said its accusation of bias is based on “links between a member of the Competition Commission panel and an organisation interested in acquiring the airports that BAA is required to sell.”

BAA also argued that the commission, “failed to take into account the adverse financial impact of introducing competition, in particular by requiring BAA to sell three airports within two years in the current financial and economic circumstances.”