Gatwick Takes Off In No Frills Battle
Gatwick airport is set to be the next battleground for no-frills airlines, with plans by Ryanair and bmibaby to challenge easyJet's dominance.
Ryanair has so far restricted operations at London's second biggest airport due to high landing charges.
But industry sources say Europe's largest budget airline recently applied for two runway slots, according to the Sunday Times.
The company would only tell the paper it is in discussions with more than 50 airports around Europe.
Bmibaby managing director Tony Davis said Gatwick was congested but manageable for a low-cost operation.
"What we are seeing is that airline competition in Britain is increasingly no-frills airline against no-frills airline, rather than no-frills against a conventional carrier," he added.
EasyJet's operations at Gatwick have mushroomed.
Within three years of starting flights there, it has 13 aircraft flying to 22 destinations.
The expansion of low-cost operators at Gatwick has come at the expense of British Airways, which has seen its share of the runway slots fall to 27% from 42%.
