Virgin atlantic and easyjet

[cessna24]

I read with interest that Virgin Atlantic and Easyjet are looking to buy London Gatwick Airport. Is this going to be good or bad?? I think its good for the Easyjet employees cause its some secure vision from Easyjet. And Virgin for that matter.
So whats the general opinion?

Cessna24

[Herod]

Getting someone who knows about aviation to run an airport? Now that IS revolutionary. :ok:

[CornishFlyer]

They don't know how to run an airport tho-they know how to run an airline. Surely totally different? Crewing an a/c is totally different to managing franchises with restaurants and setting landing fees? Obviously yeah they have a good understanding and would know how fees and charges affect airlines but as for owning an airport....?

[merlinxx]

Just go checkout the Virgin Group empire, also maybe check Stelios's family business history. Seek and ye shall find. We are here at 'Our Little Airport in the Country', not north of Watford and don't want to play at EMA:ugh:

[His dudeness]

They don't know how to run an airport tho-they know how to run an airline. Surely totally different? Crewing an a/c is totally different to managing franchises with restaurants and setting landing fees? Obviously yeah they have a good understanding and would know how fees and charges affect airlines but as for owning an airport....?

Mhhh, lets see....Mr.Branson knows how to run an Airline, a record label, a mobile telephone company, a soda company (virgincola) and what not.

He surely will know one or two things about running an airport. No Rocketscience involved.

[autobrake3]

EasyJet and Virgin Atlantic team up to back £2.5bn bid for Gatwick airport - Times Online (http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/transport/article5151513.ece)

So no, they ain't buying it.

[beamender99]

BBC says

Virgin Atlantic says it is planning a bid for Gatwick airport, which has been put up for sale by its owner, BAA, in conjunction with other parties.
Virgin is talking to a group of interested parties about a bid for the airport, valued by analysts at up to £2.5bn.
A decision on Gatwick could be made by the end of next year.
The Competition Commission has said BAA may have to sell some airports because of market dominance concerns.
Heavenly marriage?
"I think it remains to be seen how much Gatwick is actually worth, bearing in mind we are in the middle of a downturn and bearing in mind it needs to be independently verified," Paul Charles, a spokesman for Virgin Atlantic, told BBC News.
"We have said before we are interested in forming a consortium... It doesn't mean we will put forward all the money or some of the money, or necessarily Easyjet," he said.
"What it does mean, there would be a group of interested parties who we are talking to who would come together, input their own expertise into owning and operating Gatwick Airport," he said.
A combination of the airlines' customer service expertise and the backing of financial institutions would be a "marriage made in heaven", he said.
Gatwick had been "starved" of investment because BAA had concentrated on Heathrow, he said, adding that if the bid succeeded, the airport would be much more customer-focused.
But Easyjet denied that it was in talks to buy Gatwick.
"We are not forming or fronting a consortium and there is no suggestion that we would contribute financially to any bid," said easyjet's Andrew McConnell.
He said that, at the most, the airline was considering offering an as-yet unidentified bidder some sort of long-term commitment on capacity at the airport to enable them to evaluate their bid. Several firms are said to be interested in buying Gatwick. Potential bidders include Australian company Macquarie, Germany's Fraport, and the owners of Manchester airport.

[Bernoulli]

You southern johnnies better keep your fingers crossed that it's not Manchester Airport 'managers' that get their hands on LGW or else you can look forward to broken lifts and travelators. On the positive side there'll be a big increase in the 'wealth of retail opportunities' put before you.:yuk:

[LGS6753]

I would imagine the other airline customers of Gatwick would be far from happy to see their competitors in charge of slots, stand allocation, advertising space, check-in desks, announcements, etc.

In the unlikely event of this bid being successful, watch out for legal fireworks.

[CornishFlyer]

Merlin, FYI I work for easyJet so I know what Stelios's Empire is like. Please don't treat me like an idiot however running an airline, keeping planes in the air is a totally different kettle of fish to having to run the 2nd largest airport in the country and also another point, I haven't always been based at EMA so don't be so judgemental and try to post something constructive next time instead of trying to instigate an argument

[Tulsablue]

One Thing Virgin & Easyjet do know is Passengers:ok:, an item that airports sometime forget:ugh:

[Dan Air 87]

This deal looks like of being massive benefit to EZY but given Virgins limited presence then we should go all misty eyed as they are in it as an investment and that is all. They only operate their lesiure routes which at the most is around 6 flights a day. So why else would they buy in to LGW?

But the US carriers have all but gone so what sort of traffic will the new owners be able to attract?

[Blink182]

Beardy already has got what he wanted.......... some free publicity
reminds me of the old "we could keep the Concorde flying if you give it to us " refrain..... lots of column inches

[WindSheer]

Neither airline would invest 2.5 billion purely for slot preferences!

[Rollingthunder]

Just to widen the field somewhat.

Vancouver airport group in hunt to buy London's Gatwick

Cheryl Chan
Canwest News Service

Sunday, October 26, 2008

VANCOUVER - The Vancouver International Airport Authority is part of a $3.1-billion bid to purchase Gatwick Airport, according to reports.

YVR Airport Services Ltd., a subsidiary of the Vancouver Airport Authority owned jointly by the airport authority and the infrastructure division of U.S. banking giant Citibank, is putting in the bid for London's second-largest airport, The Times of London reported Sunday.

If successful, the move would catapult YVRAS into the big leagues of airport management, according to industry experts.

"It would be a significant step forward into a very, very large hub airport," said Rick Erickson, managing director of RP Erickson and Associates, a Calgary-based aviation consulting group. "This will put them in a new league and it may open other substantial doors for them in the future."

YVRAS reported $440 million in revenue last year and manages 18 airports around the world, mostly in the Western Hemisphere, including facilities in Chile, the Bahamas and Jamaica, It also manages smaller airports in the B.C. cities of Cranbrook, Fort St. John and Kamloops as well as Moncton, N.B.

In 2006, it partnered with Dutch company ABN Amro for an unsuccessful bid to run London's City Airport.

In May, it partnered with Citibank and, just last month, backed by the bank's considerable financial heft, it won a 99-year-lease values at $2.52-billion US to operate Chicago's Midway Airport.

But Gatwick, by far, would be the largest gem in the YVRAS airport empire, said Erickson.

About 35 million passengers pass through the London airport's terminals annually - double the traffic through Vancouver airport last year.

Its acquisition would open doors for future management contracts with airports in Asia or the Middle East, said Erickson, making it well-poised to capitalize on a trend that began 10 to 15 years ago when governments began to divest airports and airport management to the private sector.

"With a great track record, in three or five years, there's no doubt they can go after other major airports," said Erickson, who added the well-managed Vancouver International Airport is one of the stars in the airport world and makes for a great calling card.

YVRAS officials refused to confirm the bid Sunday.

In an e-mail to The Vancouver Province, CEO George Casey said the "primary focus of Vancouver Airport Services' immediate efforts is on operating and developing Chicago Midway Airport," and that it "continues to monitor other opportunities, but has no immediate additional plans."

Other potential bidders include Frankfurt Airport operator Fraport, German construction firm Hochtief, German airlines Lufthansa and Global Infrastructure Partners, a consortium made up of Credit Suisse and General Electric Co., which bought London's City Airport two years ago for $1.5 billion US.

Erickson said the fact that the bid is being made during today's struggling economic times might not be a big factor as airports, which have near-monopolies within their geographic areas, have proven to be consistent, attractive long-term investments.

Vancouver Province