Ireland to Heathrow routes to remain amid BMI purchase

News at Heathrow 26/12/2011

Airport overcrowding could raise fares : 2011 : Safest ever decade for US airlines

IAG’s top official has said that routes between Heathrow and Ireland will stay in place through the purchase of BMI.

Willie Walsh, chief executive or British Airways and Iberia owner International Airlines Group, indicated on Friday week that BMI’s current Heathrow to Belfast and Heathrow to Dublin routes are not to be scrapped if his firm gains regulatory approval for its £172.5 million contract to acquire BMI from German owners Lufthansa.

Walsh said that the Belfast-to-Heathrow route was a source of substantial traffic feed and that the Dublin route was also likely to remain unchanged because of IAG’s strong relationship with Aer Lingus.

IAG is now officially contracted to purchase BMI, following a memorandum of understanding signed between Lufthansa and IAG midway through November. The deal is still subject to approval from the Competition Commission, which BA rival Virgin Atlantic has called upon to block the sale because IAG will gain more than 50 per cent of Heathrow’s available landing slots.

Virgin had reportedly also been in talks with Lufthansa for the BMI acquisition.

Mr Walsh also said on Friday that the BMI brand name would stay in place for regional flights but that its long-haul routes would eventually become British Airways flights because BMI is not a worldwide brand name.

Airport overcrowding could raise fares : 2011 : Safest ever decade for US airlines

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