Monday deadline for Gatwick buyer

BAA expects the sale to be completed by the end of the summer

Monday is the deadline for companies wanting to buy Britain's second-biggest airport, London Gatwick.

Its current owner, BAA, was ordered to sell Gatwick after an inquiry found that customers were suffering from the lack of competition between airports.

It is expected to receive three serious offers, although they are rumoured to to be below last year's £2bn estimates.

They are understood to be from groups including General Electric, Manchester Airport and Vancouver Airport.

The Spanish newspaper El Pais has reported that the front-runner is the Lysander Gatwick Investment Group, which is made up of Citi Infrastructure Partners, Vancouver Airport Services and John Hancock Life Insurance Company.

The other bidders are expected to be Global Infrastructure Partners, which is a joint venture between General Electric and Credit Suisse, and a consortium made up of Manchester Airports Group, Borealis and the Greater Manchester Pension Fund.

As a result of the same Competition Commission inquiry, BAA, which is owned by Spain's Ferrovial, will also have to sell Stansted Airport and one of its Scottish airports.

BAA has until 19 May to appeal against the decision.