SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
 

Washington, D.C. 20549
 


FORM 6-K
 


Report of Foreign Private Issuer
 


Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
 


For the month of August, 2008 
 
 

RYANAIR HOLDINGS PLC
(Translation of registrant's name into English)
 
 

c/o Ryanair Ltd Corporate Head Office
Dublin Airport
County Dublin Ireland
(Address of principal executive offices)
 
 
 
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual
reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
 
 
Form 20-F..X.. Form 40-F.....
 
 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information
contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the
Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934.
 
 
Yes ..... No ..X..
 
 

If "Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant
in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82- ________
 
 
 

 

RYANAIR 
WELCOMES COMPETITION COMMISSION'S 
CALL
TO BREAKUP 
BAA 
AIRPORT 
MONOPOLY 


Ryanair, 
Britain's
 
largest 
passenger
 airline
,
 
today (
Wednesday, 
2
0
th
 August 200
8
) 
welcomed 
the 
UK 
Competition Commission's 
recommend
ation for the breakup of the BAA monopoly over the London airports
, which will result in the three main airports, Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, being able to compete against each other to provide low cost, efficient facilities and also lower prices and better services for consumers.
  

Ryanair has long called for the breakup of this abusive monopoly, which ignores the needs of airlines and the travelling public and charges rip off prices for abysmal services.  
The 
Competition Commission's 
Preliminary Report confirm
s
 that 
this monopoly has been bad for competition and bad for consumers. It also confirms that the 
CAA has failed to 
properly regulate 
the 
BAA
 monopoly
.
  

Ryanair
 
has 
call
ed
 on the UK Government to implement the C
ompetition Commission
's recommendations 
and break
-
up the BAA monopoly 
as soon as possible.

Speaking today in London, 
Ryanair's 
Director
 of 
Legal & 
Regulatory Affairs
, 
Jim Callaghan, 
said:

"
Ryanair 
welcomes the Competition Commission's comprehensive report into the market power of the BAA monopoly and fully endorses its findings.  
Competition works - monopolies don't.  
BAA
's
 
monopoly 
control over 
the
 London airport
s
 
has
 been 
highly 
detrimental to competition and consumers
.
  BAA ha
s
 long ignored the needs of its airline users and the travelling public and provided inefficient, gold plated facilities, encouraged by an ineffectual regulator
, the CAA
.
  Stansted is now the most expensive, by 
a considerable
 margin, of Ryanair's over 150 airports around Europe. BAA's plans to waste 
a further 
£4bln. on a second terminal and runway at Stansted, when such facilities could be built for 
a fraction of that cost
,
 
is further evidence of their abus
ive monopoly
 and will lead to even higher prices for consumers.

"
The C
C today confirmed its earlier findings that:
 
a)
     
The BAA’s monopoly ownership of Edinburgh and Glasgow airports has adversely affected competition.
 
b)
     
The BAA’s monopoly ownership of Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports has adversely affected competition.
 
c)
     
The way BAA has conducted its business has adversely affected competition.
 
d)
     
The inadequate regulatory regime operated by the CAA has adversely affected competition.
 
"
Monopolies clearly don't work and the BAA monopoly has done huge damage to competition and the travelling public and it is high time 
it was broken
 up. Competition in the airline industry has brought huge benefits to consumers and this can be replicated at the main London airports.
"
We 
are therefore 
call
ing
 on the UK 
G
overnment to
 i
mplement the C
ompetition Commission'
s recommendations as soon as possible and 
to 
break up the BAA monopoly in the interest of competition and consumers
".

Ends.
    
    
    
    
                                                                                                       
Wednesday, 20
th
 August 2008

For reference:
    Stephen McNamara - Ryanair
                  Pauline McAlester - Murray Consultants
    
    
                  Tel: +353-1-8121271
    
    
                     Tel: +353-1-4980300

 

 


 

SIGNATURES
 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.
 
 

 

RYANAIR HOLDINGS PLC




Date: 20 August 2008
 

 

By:___/s/ James Callaghan____
   
 

James Callaghan
 

Company Secretary & Finance Director