It is self-evident to the users of London's main airports that flying would be a less stressful experience if the airports were not monopoly-owned by BAA. We are now inching towards scientific proof of this commonly accepted truth.

The Competition Competition is poised to find that BAA's structure is bad for the consumer. It is also set to declare that a break-up of the group, which owns Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, should be among the remedies to the situation.