All pie in the sky, excuse the pun, why on earth would EI sell its prized asset that is the cornerstone of its short haul operation, have any idea how obsurd it is to suggest that EI are being stubborn holding on the LHR slots?
Firstly its LHR slots are not its prized assets (but they are very important), no it is the TATL network
I am not judgeing if EI are stubborn, I am saying that "if they where" remember BA and EI have not even talked to each other about it (and not are not going to for the time being)
EI need to remain differentiated to FR so why would they surrender their access to LHR? Crazy.
They can still get access to LHR, the only diffrence is that they will be codesharing on BA's flights rather than running the flight themselves, which would be more profitable due to less competition...
EI May not be able to buy back the stake, price may become too great, if it became available.
EI are not that value, beside that will make a lot of money out of the sale (look at the market rate...), if thats not enough maybe IAG can chip in (they have much to lose out of a FR takeover of EI)
BA ARE NOT INTERESTED IN BUYING ANY PART OF EI.
They are interested in their LHR slots...
Listen, you really really don't seem to be getting this here. The fact that BA need slots is none of Aer Lingus' concern. In case this isn't sinking in;
AER LINGUS DON'T CARE HOW BA DOES, IF BA CAN'T COPE TOUGH LUCK TO THEM, BUT AER LINGUS DON'T CARE!!!!
But they do care about the fact they don't want to be bought out by FR and I am suggesting IAG can help with that, in return of selling their :HR slots to them and a closer partnership...)
Aer Lingus is not some sub section of BA that BA wants to get some of it's assets off, it is a competitor to BA, and a company that really couldn't concern itself less with the fact that BA can't compete with others, tough luck BA. What Aer Lingus does care about is making money, which is what it does with it's LHR flights which are the cornerstone as EI-BUD says of EI's short haul network. If they didn't make money on the flights then sure they might consider selling some of the slots, but they do make money on them, always have, so they're never ever ever ever going to sell one of their most profitable assets just to be nice to this other airline that is struggling because it's being bullied by those big mean other airlines...
True they are seperate from BA, but they are a close partner, not a competitior of BA, its reflected on the codesharing on LHR-DUB/BHD
True they don't care about BA's problems, but with FR its a diffrent story, so BA can help fix their problems and EI can fix BA's problems in return
Also EI will still be making money out of LHR-DUB/BHD by codesharing on BA's flights, although this time they might be more profitable (with higher yields)...
Besides its not the first time an airline has sold a very profitable part of their business
After all why should EI reject a offer it cannot refuse from BA... (they will make a lot of money out of the sale of LHR slots)
BA will never buy some, all or none of EI, or any slots at LHR. BA no longer has that level of strategic decision making power. BA is not an independent airline in its own right, it is part of a multinational holding company. Strategic decisions such as acquisition of airlines, aircraft or large numbers of slots are made in Madrid, not London.
IAG has its head office in the UK, but incorporated in Spain, their management comes from both airlines (BA however is the main partner)
LHR is no longer, necessarily, the be all and end all of operations these days. MAD is a large hub with equally modern facilities and room to grow. IAG could, if it wished, siphon much more connecting traffic through MAD and fill more LHR flights with O&D. Indeed this makes a lot more sense than trying to develop an LGW hub that some keep suggesting.
IB Long-Haul network consists solely of routes to North/South America and even that is suffering from strong competition (even from their fellow OW partner LATAM) and the airline itself is making large losses and is forced to make savings by cutting jobs/routes and moving more routes to Vueling
Also IB's short-haul network is being reduced on a large scale (thus reduced connections to the rest of Europe...) and the IB/MAD is located in a country is suffering from a massive ecnomic crisis, large debts, high umemployment and the rise of the far-left/right and nationalists, then there is the fact its in the Euro (which is also having a lot of problems as well...)
Far better to expand at LHR as much as legally posibble and then do the same at LGW//LCY...
Selling the premier route in the short haul network makes absolutely zero sense from EI's point of view. Even when times were really bad, LHR was always the last route to be cut. I could almost guarentee that the last EI flight ever returning to DUB would be from LHR, the only way these slots would be sold is in liquidation. The LHR operation is at the very core of EI.
If they can make a lot of money from the sale, deal with their biggest biggest problem (FR) and still make money on a more profitable LHR-DUB/BHD, then it not a bad idea
Of course its up to them in the first place...
PS: Its not the first time an airline has sold/shut down its "premier/flagship/profitable routes"