All the airlines operating flights to the UK Mainland from Northern Ireland have welcomed the findings of the Competition Commission which calls for BAA to sell three of its seven UK airports.

Nigel Turner, Chief Executive of bmi which operates up to eight services daily to Heathrow from Belfast City, said: "We welcome the Competition Commission's findings and thoroughly support the break-up of the BAA's dominance of airport ownership in the UK.

"Bmi has argued for many years that the ownership of the three major London airports and Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland by one operator prevents competition between them, especially among London airports where they enjoy 91 per cent of the total market in London and the South East.

"This has resulted in unresponsive customer service for airlines and passengers, lack of investment, while delivering higher costs and price increases that could not be sustained in a competitive environment."

Flybe, which operates Belfast City Airport's most extensive route network, has also backed the Competition Commission's preliminary on BAA's airport ownership.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Jim French, says that the successful story of the UK aviation industry is acknowledged worldwide but that the need for competition across all sectors is now one that is clearly the over-riding factor impacting further future development.

"We have been saying for years that the BAA monopoly of airports in South East England and the Scottish lowlands in particular is bad for everyone not the least of which the travelling public. We welcome the fact that, at last, the Competition Commission has come to the same conclusion."

Andy Harrison, easyJet Chief Executive said: "The Competition Commission Report is what we have been waiting for, an honest and unbiased assessment of our airports. They have said what everyone knows, that our airports are not working, and BAA and regulation are not working.

"But let's not kid ourselves into thinking that the break-up of BAA will automatically result in a better deal for the travelling public. Simply selling a monopoly airport from one greedy, highly indebted capitalist to another will benefit no-one part from the dealmakers in the City.