BAA, the embattled owner of Heathrow, was on Wednesday facing the threat of a forced sale of three of its British airports next year after a damning report by competition authorities attacked its dominance of the industry.

The company lashed out at the Competition Commission for recommending the forced sale of two of its three London airports - Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted – and either Glasgow or Edinburgh in Scotland. The most likely candidates for sale are Gatwick, Stansted and Glasgow, analysts said.