FR have been making a big thing of the benefits to EI of the proposed take over, but what are the benefits to FR?
FR do not need the extra aircraft, and even if they did, EI are all Airbus.
FR do no need EIs longhaul "connections", if FR want to do longhaul they can just source ac to start the services and go do it.
FR do not gain any foot holds in any particularly attractive (to FR) airports (with the exception of becoming an even greater irritant to the legacy carriers at those airports)
If FR wanted to to an "upmarket"/partial frills service, again, they could just start doing it with current a/c and some very slight staff training changes.
FR get rid of a long standing competitor from one of their bases .....
FR increases their leverage with the DAA ....
FR converts EI shares into EI's cash reserves ...
JAS