The previous MD of Gatwick was an ex Virgin employee and I don't think he bought any particular benefit to the airport or to the employees, in fact it's hard to think of anything significant that he achieved in his time there.
The problem with running an airport such as Gatwick is dealing with, and trying to satisfy, the diverse range and requirements of different airlines. It's a fair bet that the opinions of what is right, or required, will differ between airlines - Easyjet and Ryanair will be at the opposite end of the spectrum to Emirates. Satisfying those requirements within the regulatory pricing framework is almost impossible, hence the "middle ground" perception with the low cost boys thinking too much is spent and the others wanting more investment.
As for BAA I bet they can't wait to offload it, and they won't really care who to, they should get a good price which will go to paying off some of that huge loan. They'll want to get rid of soon as well, before they get rumbled on the ridiculous "gaming" that went on in the CAA Review, and they fall short on that one.