MANAGEMENT of Prestwick Airport has backed plans to turn an RAF airbase in London into a commercial airport in order to challenge the dominance of Heathrow, writes Ken Smith.

Owners of the Ayrshire airport yesterday told MPs on a Transport Select Committee that BAA, the owners of Heathrow, and British Airways had colluded to ''artificially fabricate'' the situation that most transatlantic flights from London left from Heathrow.

However, at the same time it was proving difficult for airline operators using regional airports such as Prestwick to get flights into Heathrow.

Prestwick, with airlines such as Ryanair, has been pioneering cheap flights to other London airports, but Prestwick's owners admit that this is not always convenient for travellers wishing to connect with international flights out of Heathrow.

It has already been forecast, for example, that British Airways' decision to switch Inverness flights from Heathrow to Gatwick will lose the Highlands half the current number of Japanese visitors, some of whom spend up to #16,000 on visits to sporting estates.

Prestwick's solution, as told to the Select Committee yesterday, is to push for RAF Northolt, often the scene of private flights by Royal Family members and Prime Ministers, to become a civil airport with slots reserved for military and VIP traffic.

The airport describes the potential benefit of Northolt as ''substantial'' - largely because of its proximity to Heathrow. It envisages Northolt as a satellite to Heathrow with a reserved lane on a spur road to speedily transport passengers to connecting flights at Heathrow.

The Select Committee is investigating the economic benefits of air services from regional airports, and the consequences of Heathrow's dominance.