Gatwick Sale and Heathrow Expansion

Unite has called for an immediate meeting with Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) following news that BAA has agreed to sell London Gatwick Airport to the group for £1.51 billion as uncertainty over who the future employer could be ended for thousands of workers at the airport.

Brian Boyd, Unite national officer for civil aviation, said: “While this sale is still subject to approval in Europe, Unite welcomes confirmation of who will take ownership of Gatwick. It ends months of uncertainty for many members as to whom their new employer will be. Our primary objective now is to meet with the Global Infrastructure Group as soon as possible to ensure that the safeguards we associate with the continued employment of our members at the country’s second largest airport, are in place.”

Unite represents thousands of airline and ground staff working at Gatwick airport, who provide services for the 34 million passengers who fly through Gatwick each year.

The sale to GIP, forced on BAA as a pro-competition measure, sees two of London’s airports now owned by the GIP. The union is concerned to ensure that the sale safeguards services, and workers' terms and conditions, as upheld by BAA.

Also responding to the announcement earlier from UK airports operator, BAA, that it is to suspend its planning application to build a third runway at Heathrow, Unite, the largest union in aviation, has denounced the move as confusing and damaging for UK business and decried Conservative party efforts to claim the delay as a victory for their transport policy.

Brian Boyd said: "The Conservatives have failed to present a feasible alternative to the problems associated with under capacity at Heathrow Airport. The London Mayor's proposals for an island airport on the Thames are, quite frankly, unworkable. The plans have no costing attached to them, nor do they consider the damage constructing this island would do to the environment. David Cameron has floated fast rail links as an alternative and in doing so demonstrated exactly why his arguments that a third runway is not required lack depth.

"Unite has always supported a fully integrated national transport network, which includes fast rail links and improved infrastructure, but this comes at a price in terms of displacement of people, the environment, and the overall costs. The Tories have been largely silent on all of these issue."