IND Airport owned by BAA?!

[preiffer]

Yup, you read right.

By the tone of the article, I get the distinct impression that Americans are not too keen on the idea...

FOREIGN COMPANY RUNS INDIANAPOLIS AIRPORT; RESPONSIBLE FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT

Indianapolis International Airport, a facility that serves more than 8 million passengers every year, is operated by a foreign-owned company.

And the company has stated contractual obligations at the airport -- which include law enforcement!

So who is it that owns them...

BAA Indianapolis LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of BAA plc, a private company which owns and operates seven airports in the United Kingdom including Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports serving London.

[mcmbenjamin]

That is right Paul.
BAA does retail at BWI, BOS and PIT too.

In IND BAA has ran the show since October 1, 1995. As I cannot speak for America as a whole but my Political Science class did not know or care that a British company is operating an American airport as they only control the management aspects. But no one really knew or cared that P&O operated American ports. Security is done by a different organization, the TSA.

I brought up the BAA IND deal in class to counter the Dubai Ports/P & O deal. Pretty much the same thing as Dubai Ports will manage the ports in the US and the TSA will still do security. Personal, I support the Dubai Ports/P&O deal. I guess the whole Dubai Ports issues shows that most Americans only know the UAE as a Middle East country and have no idea of the political situation between the US and the UAE. Hey, Star Jones had her honeymoon there and flew Emirates First from JFK on the A345. Likely her!

OT: Was reading the New York Times Sunday yesterday. Had a huge picture of an Australia kid snow skiing in the Emirates Mall in Dubai. Crazy stuff!

BAA also own a number of other airlines- Budapest and Naples are two that spring to mind.

I am confused though by the article....is the author saying its wrong to have a foreign owned company run a US airport as being run by a foregin owned company security breaches could occur more?

I'm with you. While I didn't know about the foreign interests of BAA, the artical is a little odd.

[Bazz]

Originally posted by willd
BAA also own a number of other airlines- Budapest and Naples are two that spring to mind.

I am confused though by the article....is the author saying its wrong to have a foreign owned company run a US airport as being run by a foregin owned company security breaches could occur more?

Willd do you mean airports not airlines? I also think you may find that they "run" rather than "own" these facilities? [y]

[mcmbenjamin]

Personally, I think the author of the referenced article is trying to compare the Dubai Ports deal with BAA in the USA and in turn trying to get change public opinion. To say the article is politically motivated in my opinion is an understatement.

Now about any regional or larger airport I know has a police authority for the airport's use only. Also there is a fire department. Some airport authorities provide the matching passenger ticket to government issued ID.

BAA is governed by the Indianapolis Airport Authority's Board. IAA facilities include Indianapolis International, Metropolitan, Mt. Comfort, Eagle Creek and Hendricks County Airport - Gordon Graham Field airports and the Downtown Heliport. (IND, downtown heliport and four general aviation airports)

The IAA board is a group of eight voting members appointed by the mayor of Indianapolis and officials from Marion and Hendricks counties. The board also has three non-voting members representing Hamilton, Hancock and Morgan counties.

Going to the TSAs website, they are hiring for Transportation Security Officer so I am assuming that the TSA does the airport screening and is not outsourced like at San Francisco International.

A quick search on Google News will bring up articles on the Dubai Ports deal.

Food for thought.

[mcmbenjamin]

Originally posted by Bazz

Originally posted by willd
BAA also own a number of other airlines- Budapest and Naples are two that spring to mind.

I am confused though by the article....is the author saying its wrong to have a foreign owned company run a US airport as being run by a foregin owned company security breaches could occur more?

Willd do you mean airports not airlines? I also think you may find that they "run" rather than "own" these facilities? [y]

Most correct Mr. Bazz.

Since 1 October 1995, BAA Indianapolis LLC has had full operating responsibility for the six airports owned by the Indianapolis Airport Authority under a unique, performance-based, management contract. Indianapolis International is now the largest privately managed airport in the United States.

From [url=http://www.baa.com/portal/controller/dispatcher.jsp?CiID=4c8e6ac244a52010VgnVCM100000147e120a____&ChID=b94ac5c1c7e32010VgnVCM100000147e120a____&Ct=B2C_CT_GENERAL&CtID=448c6a4c7f1b0010VgnVCM200000357e120a____&Ch=Indianapolis&ChPath=Home%5ERetailB2B%5EInternational+Retail%5ETotal+Airport+Management%5EIndianapolis&ChIDPath=caf397dc2eb12010VgnVCM100000147e120a____^7087de279e533010VgnVCM100000147e120a____^27acb9f50da32010VgnVCM100000147e120a____^ce76b9f50da32010VgnVCM100000147e120a____^b94ac5c1c7e32010VgnVCM100000147e120a____]BAA's Website[/url]

Established as a municipal corporation by the General Assembly in 1962, the Indianapolis Airport Authority (IAA) is responsible for owning, developing and operating six airport facilities in the Indianapolis metropolitan area.

From the Indianapolis Airport website, click IAA Board Meetings

BAA does not own the airports. I wonder where the article's author gets his/her info? Dreamland?

Hehe Bazz- yes the typo on airlines was my bad but as for owning the airports its a tricky one. IND is run by BAA where as Naples, Budapest, Alice Springs, Launceston, Perth, Melbourne, Darwin are owned by BAA.
purchased Budapest airport for something like £1.2billion last year and in doing so outbid Grupo Ferrovial who have recently been linked to buying BAA [:0] Now being a bit of a geek on these things [:I] analyists have been somewaht shocked by this move as everyone has viewed BAA as being the big guy and almost invincible in the fact that it will never be taken over. Although i havent seen too much in the press lately about it.

By contrast they RUN the shops etc at BOS and other US airports.

[Scrooge]

What nobody has pointed out is that we here in the States are coming into and election year,so our great politicians are looking for subjects that will get them reelected.

Now even though the port security would be coast guard,tsa and customs our guys and girls in DC see which way the public and meadia are leaning and jump on the bandwagon.Now nobody had a problem with a UK running these terminals in the ports(yes they are running select terminals,not even the whole ports)but becuase of the knee jerk reaction to the news and the fact that the republicans have taken a beating over the last few months we end up where we are now.