There are actually loads of permutations....here are some random thoughts in no particular order...
- AL flies 330/350 wide bodies on lhr route at peak times only releasing slots for BA longhaul
- AL feeds into LHR and services UK regions for BA just as it has for Little Red. BA then turns a profit on regional due to the significantly low cost base which AL has
- AL takes over Lgw routes utilising it's lower cost base and again makes loads of profit
- Some BA or AL flagged aircraft fly lhr/dub then onto US utilising CBP facilities
- big cull of back office staff/middle management at AL as no longer needed once integrated into BA which in turn generates huge underlying profitability
Indeed, can see the sense in IAG acquiring EI.
Isn't EI partly owned by its employees?
BA only serve 6 UK airports now...
11 UK airports: ABZ, BHD, EDI, GLA, JER, LBA, LCY, LGW, LHR, MAN, NCL.
BA could fly their wide bodies to LHR at peak times and make better use of their slots but the simple fact when they are beginning flights to Greek islands it shows they have way to many slots currently.
BA now has over 50% of all LHR slots having acquired BD. Only a handful of the former BD slots have been used for long haul (only a few new routes: AUS, CTU, ICN, KUL).
Apparently the split of the acquired BD slots was going to be one-third longhaul/two thirds shorthaul, but there is, allegedly, a shortage of suitable longhaul aircraft. There may be a few more slots (9 slot pairs?) coming down the line from VS in 2015.
Having seen the asset-stripping of BD slots by LH from the sidelines before 2012, acquiring EI may have more to do with preventing the same being done to EI by another carrier rather than BA doing it.