AURIGNY has criticised BAA after the airports operator posted a 4.9% rise in yearly operating profits. BAA, whose portfolio of airports includes Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, saw operating profits rise to £616m in the year to 31 March, while pre-tax profits before exceptional items grew by 2.3% to 536m.

Aurigny managing director Malcolm Hart said that airports were creaming off cash at the expense of airlines.

‘Any rise in profits for airports is a rise too far for me,’ said Mr Hart.

‘The airlines do all the work then the airports charge the airlines and take the cash.’

During the year the number of passengers passing through BAA airports increased by 4.4% to 133.4million passengers.

It said it was still on track to deliver 6% growth in passenger numbers during 2004-2005.

Mr Hart said that the increase in BAA passenger numbers reflected the trend within Aurigny’s Stansted and Gatwick operations.

‘Business is strong between Guernsey and both Gatwick and Stansted so from that point of view our figures, which are of course a small percentage of the overall totals, reflect the broader strength of passenger figures at these airports.’

Mr Hart was, though, unimpressed by BAA claims that major UK airports handled 15% more traffic last month than in April last year.

‘Making claims like that is not particularly useful because the growth is compared to such a low starting base.

‘Much of the rise is because in 2003 the industry was at such a low point because of the start of the Iraq war.’