Aer Lingus - 6

[EI-BUD]

With the takeover and closing of BD by IAG, there is no shortage of slots at LHR for BA , so let‘s knock that particular bit of misinformation on the head.


Fairdealfrank,
I don't think it is misinformation, but thanks. So if BA want to launch a new route where do the slots come from, this statement would suggest that there are slots available? They clearly are using all slots at the moment?


My view is not any less valid than yours. With both airlines being part of the same organisation, my view is that it is completely plausible as it was between 1991 and 2012, that EI was the BA feeder ex Dublin, and BA not serving the route. Fewer flights with larger aircraft is completely workable, i.e. 321's across say 17/18 services offering the same capacity apart from freeing up slots (which you say they are not short of if required), is lower cost and more efficient way of using resources. Couple that with BA not having a base in Dublin could make the business case stronger. This is a scenario that I see as realistic, though I hope it is not.


But BA and IB still on LHR-MAD.


Yes this is correct, but I was citing BCN as an example of where BA have moved to an exclusing position. I think BA would have a far greater interesting in being part of LHR MAD in order to access a market that they do not currently serve as comprehensively as IB, i.e. south America. BA service to Dublin will aim to feed passengers to the US as almost all of the destinations are duplicates and as I said earlier, when BA vacated ROI, EI filled the space excellently codeshares in place via London.


Because it's not an issue. If LHR-DUB was a loss maker, BA would not have replaced BD on the route. Check it out: the loss-making BD routes were soon scrapped.


I am not suggesting for a second that DUB LHR is a loss maker for BA, I am simply expressing that efficiencies to be achieved by consolidating their position, less flights, bigger aircraft , i.e. 321s rather than 319s and broadly gain the same capacity still at very regular frequencies.


In a position where IAG owns both carriers, there certainly are economies to be achieves, and equally on BHD LHR where loads a far from high, often only in the 60%'s, there is case that EI could be done without or BA for that matter, doesn't mean that either carriers are losing money. There is a commercial logic in rationalising the operation, as has been the case on BCN LHR....




PS DONT KNOW WHY THE QUOTATION BOX NOT WORKING!