all those slots at LHR
Connectivity to DUB will fall as it has to all the UK domestic airports as BA use the slots for more profitable long haul
Aer Lingus basically reduced to a European only carrier
For sure some slots will be released as EI/BA combine schedules on LHR-DUB but it's a nonsense to say that IAG is engaged in a pure slot grabbing exercise.
BA did not take Iberia's LHR slots when IAG was formed. It would entirely counter-productive to IAG's strategy to restrict links between IAG hubs. Iberia also kept its own North American routes post IAG.
Also, EI's LHR slot portfolio isn't that interesting as far as long-haul is concerned. It has no arrival slots before 8am and arrival slots late in the day are of no use for long-haul.
And since IAG acquired bmi, BA's connections to the UK regions have improved. It maintained Belfast and opened up Leeds Bradford. The latter was a clear move to take traffic from KLM and is likely to also be behind IAG's thinking with EI and DUB.
For all the talk of long-haul expansion, BA says it needs to maintain a ratio of 1/3 long-haul and 2/3 short-haul at LHR for network optimisation.
I also don't believe for a moment IAG will close down EI's long-haul network.
Access to the Avios FFP base in Europe and American Airlines AAdvantage FFP base in the US will give EI a huge boost. As will access to AA and BA's corporate accounts in the transatlantic joint-venture. That is huge scope to improve revenue and margin.