The prospect of loosening BAA’s grip on London airports moved nearer to take-off on Tuesday. Good. The UK’s competition watchdog believes that there could be some competition between Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted if they were separately owned. Different ownership would not provide a complete solution to the miseries of using Heathrow. But it is a necessary part of an answer that must also include a revamped regulatory regime.

Ferrovial must have become inured to abuse for its operational management of BAA. In the months since June 2006, when the Spanish group took on a pile of debt to buy the airport company, Heathrow has become hated, a byword for chaos and incompetence.