London - Cape Town - "the Battle For Slots"
 

THE STORY:

1992: British Airways and South African Airways both runway twice weekly flights from London Heathrow - Cape Town using 747-200's/300's/400's.

1997: They both introduce higher frquency on the route.

2000: Daily flights are introduced by both airlines.

2003: Virgin Atlantic tries to start up but BA and SAA raise their finger at Brandson and tell them not to get himself into things he can't handle....
Virgin Atlantic are denied more than thrice weekly slots

2004: Virgin swear as BA get slots for 2 flights out on some evenings, having a day flight back to London as well as at night. SAA aren't to pleased either

2004: Virgin scream with rage as SAA gets permission to increase frequencies on the route as well and they don't, enabling SAA to have 2 flights out and 2 back on some evenings...

Late 2004: BA and SAA Laugh at Virgin....

Sep. 2005: Virgin shouting as loud as they can to anyone who will listen to give them daily slots at Cape Town...finally, with branson now bald from ripping out his hair, Virgin get their wish granted. They introduce daily flights to and from London Heathrow using mainly Airbus A340-300's.

And the battle goes on...


p.s. this has been fictonalised for reader enjoyment, however the facts are all true (you can work out what is fiction).

Ja, but don't get too excited just yet. VS's daily LHR-CPT is only for Feb and March, then all flights suspended till next season. At least, that was the plan yesterday.........

Daily flights tell us more - dont see any slots for those yet - know they are stopping their flights at the end of March, well that is what we know.........

GJ - according to our bidding sheets - which, as you know are always 100% correct ;) - VS go daily from beginning Feb (can't remember the exact date, might be about 28 Jan), until the end of the (Northern) winter schedules, which I think is 26 Mar. Night flights both ways, arrive FACT 0600Z, depart 2110Z, on an A343.

Wouldn't surrpise me if they've neglected to tell ACSA - about par for the course round here..... :(

Am down again 12 Jan, (via JNB), will try and make Clifton this time. Lekker Krismas and all that!

Sam I think your confusing slots with a route license…………first you have to get the licence and having got that you then organize slots at the airports that you want to operate to and from. It is the SA Licensing Authority that grants the traffic rights and frequency on the CPT-LHR route.

Virgin tend to get a license on a route and expect to be given maximum frequency on it straight away, never mind that others have spent years building up the route and negotiating the traffic rights. As far as I am aware Virgin have decided this year to use all their allocated flights over a short period in order to operate daily. They do not operate the route at all during the southern winter

I know that BA currently has a frequency of 12 flights a week in the southern summer and 7 a week in the southern winter and I understand would do double daily in the summer if they could negotiate it out of the SA authorities. BAs extra 5 flights are daylight to LHR.

Bit confusing

I guess you mean branson

The intention of the "story" was for people get the idea of the competition (rivalry) on the route between London Heathrow and Cape Town for South African Airways, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic all operating direct. Luckly, they all manage to make huge profits and fill there aircraft.

I hope my intention worked.