BAA Reviews PR Roster

Added: (Tue Feb 07 2012)

Pressbox (Press Release) - BAA, the Spanish-owned operator of six British airports, is reviewing its PR agency roster, worth £1m a year.
A BAA spokesperson announced that the review covers all of its UK PR activities, with the public affairs component covering Europe.
"We will probably move to a more project based approach and identify a small number of agencies for a roster," said the spokesperson, adding that all of the incumbent firms are expected to take part in the tender.
Budgets total £4m over the lifetime of the contract, which will run for three years with an additional one-year option.
The review follows a spate of negative issues for BAA, including public and regulatory opposition to its plans for a third runway. The company was also roundly criticised for its response to snowfall at Heathrow Airport in late 2010.
However, the BAA spokesperson noted that the pitch was a "routine retender" as required by the EU public procurement directive.
Last year, it was reported that the company had shelved a corporate PR agencies and public affairs pitch, following the departure of Malcolm Robertson, BAA’s fifth communications director in as many years.
Owned by a consortium led by Spain’s Ferrovial, BAA’s six UK airports include Heathrow, Stansted, Southampton, Glasgow and Aberdeen. The company has announced plans to sell Edinburgh Airport.