If we assume the niceties of theoretical separation of the 2 contests are respected, what political fudges are available to let Easyjet win the traffic rights, Virgin to win the Heathrow slots, and also avoid the CAA / OFT being completely lambasted in the press should such a sequence of events happen ?
Without a credible option existing for the CAA / OFT, if they don't get everything they want, Easyjet could theoretically cause trouble through the courts about the impossibility of their winning rights to Gatwick-Moscow traffic, or Sir Beardy could claim in front of the TV cameras that the process for divesting the bmi slots was flawed and seek a judicial review.
Last edited by davidjohnson6; 18th Sep 2012 at 20:18.