Gatwick, London City and Edinburgh airport owner Global Infrastructure Partners is reported to have expressed an interest in acquiring Aberdeen airport.
Sky News reported that GIS is one of a number of infrastructure investors eyeing up regional airports which Heathrow Airport Holdings is considering offloading.
Heathrow is understood to be mulling a plan to offload Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton airports following a string of unsolicited approaches from prospective buyers in order to focus on the London hub.
Manchester Airports Group, which owns Stansted, is also a likely bidder for some of the Heathrow-owned airports, analysts believe.
Heathrow airport accounts for more than 95% of its parent company’s annual profits, making the sale of the other regional assets “inevitable” within the next three years, said one.
A number of Heathrow’s shareholders and board members are said to be keen to dispose of the three regional airports that are the last remaining elements of the former BAA’s monopoly over the UK’s airport infrastructure, according to the report yesterday.
Banking sources say that Heathrow’s Spanish 25% shareholder Ferrovial is likely to be interested in acquiring one or more of Aberdeen, Glasgow or Southampton airports through a separate vehicle.
A Heathrow spokesman declined to comment.