Idunno...let the SNN stop over go. EI needs a good boot to react to competition. How? By needing modern aircraft like their competitors. If they had descent competition on the atlantic the IFS systems in the 330s would have been changed years ago. As much as I dislike MO'L I support his stance on competition. Monopolies, oligoplies are a thing of the past. AL is still lumbering in the past and is sunk back a lot in the last year.
Akerosid is spot on. It's depressing. Why? The government want no change to AL s status due to an impending election. Privatising AL is bumkin next year as the pension funds are a mess and the govt cant bail it out pre election. Likewise the govt must be seen to show its support in pushing of an easying out of the SNN stop over as against a sudden stop irrespective of the dramatic increase of business out of SNN thanks to LCCs.
AL are swopping Orlando for Dubai....big deal. There just stringing out the 330s and looking to bleed an extra load of hours out of crews in a roster period. This is just robbing peter to pay paul. There is a dire need to lease/ buy aircraft/ recruit/ expand. I fear we'll see again the old AL using the A330s like their old 747 100s...to a state of being clapped out. People today are very in tune with fleets are not interested in flying on old aircraft.