Stansted Airport Is Being Sold

21 August 2012, 10:28 | Updated: 21 August 2012, 10:30

Stansted Airport is being sold, after it's owners BAA confirmed they were giving up a legal challenge to keep it.

They had mounted a challenge, after the Competition Commission ruled that they must sell Gatwick, Stansted and one of their Scottish airports following an inquiry.

BAA will now be responsible for just 4 airports, Heathrow, Southampton, Glasgow and Aberdeen.

Ryanair is reported to already be in negotiations to buy a stake in Stansted with a vision of a budget airport.

It comes as Virgin Atlantic announces the launch of its first domestic flights between Heathrow and Manchester.

The airline will operate three services a day from March, directly competing with British Airways.

Last week Virgin Trains lost a major rail franchise between London and Manchester.