Fairdealfrank
It's not a case of having it both ways. It's just that if R3 doesn't go ahead BA's existing market position at LHR will become even more dominant. In such cases it can be expected that air fares will rise and quality reduce. At some point this could lead to regulatory intervention, if things get out of hand. Although a no-R3 scenario might seem superficially attractive to BA, I'm sure some of their in-house lawyers are giving deep thought to the potential consequences.
BA is In a bit of a conundrum. If R3 does go ahead they get scope to expand, but also much stronger competition from new entrants, including easyJet. If R3 doesn't go ahead, BA will be under permanent scrutiny from the competition authorities. Since Colin Marshall's days, BA has been a devotee of scenario planning, and I'm sure the (many) meeting rooms in Waterside are being put to good use debating this issue.
Last edited by BasilBush; 2nd May 2015 at 08:00.