Airports operator BAA has dropped its name because it no longer fits.
From today, each airport – Heathrow, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Southampton and Stansted – will operate solely under its own stand-alone brand.
Heathrow chief executive Colin Matthews said: "We are a different company today from when BAA was formed. Over the last few years we have sold our stakes in Gatwick, Edinburgh, Budapest and Naples airports and we are in the process of selling Stansted Airport.
"The BAA name no longer fits. We do not represent all British airports; we are not a public authority; and practically speaking the company is no longer a group as Heathrow will account for more than 95% of the business.
"Dropping the BAA name marks a symbolic break with the company of the past."
He said the group would continue to publish quarterly financial results for airports financed with publicly-traded debt.
Over time, the BAA.com website will be archived and replaced by pages on the relevant airport websites.
by Bev Fearis
