But wouldn't it be nice if a few airlines said 'We really welcome new capacity where we fly, we are confident our customers will pay £10 per one way extra and we will be looking to apply for and take up slots which suit our operation.' At the moment it feels like we have some regulated airport operators who are very keen and some commercial airlines who are not quite so keen.
Yes. Unfortunately there are no slots to apply for. With expansion this would change, and
AFAIK, they are allocated 50% for incumbents and 50% for new entrants, and the secondary slot market diappears.
Perhaps some of the airlines currently at LHR wouldn't be too disappointed to see the status quo remain.
The last thing they probably want is to face the brunt of new or more competition muscling in on their patch from lower cost rivals such as Easyjet or Emirates etc, and also see the current value of their LHR slot portfolio depleted.
Just an alternative viewpoint (dons tin hat and retreats to trenches)
Maybe, but it's a double edged sword.
The incumbent carriers that don't want to "
face the brunt of new or more competition muscling in on their patch from lower cost rivals such as Easyjet or Emirates etc, and also see the current value of their LHR slot portfolio depleted" would also be prevented from growing/expanding their own businesses.