However BAA, the airport's owner, is preparing to go to court to challenge the ruling that it must sell it.
 
The Financial Times said that Global Infrastructure Partners, a fund backed by Credit Suisse and General Electric, has withdrawn from the bidding process leaving MAG as the last bidder.

BAA was forced to put Gatwick up for sale in March after the Competition Commission demanded that it break up its network of seven UK airports by disposing of Gatwick and at least one of its Scottish airports.

It had been expecting to recoup £1.8bn from the sale of Gatwick, which is Britain’s second-biggest airport. However, the FT suggests that MAG is prepared to pay just £1.4bn.

BAA said that it is planning a legal challenge against the Competition Commission’s ruling, arguing that it hadn’t taken account of economic conditions and alleging poetntial bias because of the links between a member of the Commission’s panel and one of the organisations that was bidding for it.