bmi plans Heathrow - US flights in 2009
04.12.07
bmi, Britain's third-biggest airline and the second biggest at Heathrow Airport in terms of number of slots, said it will begin US flights in 2009, a year after the start of the EU - US open skies agreement allowing more carriers onto transatlantic routes. This will give the airline more time to assess levels of competition and demand, a spokesman said.
bmi was tipped to be a biggest beneficiary of the open skies deal, because it is the second-biggest owner of takeoff and landing slots at Heathrow, where a single slot pair can change hands for £20m because the airport is so full. The airline had also campaigned long and loud to be able to launch transatlantic routes.
However, after taking over the former BA franchise British Mediterranean (BMED) earlier this year, the airline announced during the summer that it would not launch any transatlantic routes when the open skies pact comes in to force next March 30. bmi Chief Executive Officer Nigel Turner said yesterday: 'We're not going to jump in in April. We're going to postpone our entry into the market until 2009.'
However, he said that bmi does wants to begin US flights in the medium term, to aid its transformation into a medium- and long-haul carrier and to maximise the value of its Heathrow slots.
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