BA highlights its dominance on US-London routes

British Airways, which claims that it is financially-strapped and in a struggle for its survival, has revealed the scale of its dominance on the transatlantic routes between London and the US.

In the announcement, the carrier criticised Virgin Atlantic for having double standards in opposing BA’s planner merger with American Airlines while Virgin’s V Australia seeks anti-trust immunity for a tie-up with Delta Air Lines on transpacific routes between Australia and the US.

V Australia, which has only been in business for six months now, operates three aircraft, compared with the British Airways fleet of more than 200.

Steve Ridgway, Virgin Atlantic’s chief executive, said: “There is simply no comparison between the two. With 80% market share, BA and AA are the two biggest and most dominant airlines between Heathrow and key US cities, whereas V Australia and Delta’s market share on the Pacific routes are much, much smaller. Also, they don’t have a stranglehold on an airport as large as Heathrow. Heathrow is full and no-one can replicate BA’s dominance there if they tried.”

The market share enjoyed by British Airlines is proof of its dominance, according to the Virgin Atlantic executive. In combination with American Airlines, the joined up airline would have the following shares: on the Heathrow-Dallas Fort Worth route, 100 per cent of the market; on the Heathrow-Boston route, 80 per cent; on Heathrow-Miami, 70 per cent; on the Heathrow-Chicago route, 68 per cent; Heathrow-JFK, 62 per cent; and on the Heathrow-LAX route, a market share of 48 per cent.

For more information please visit www.virgin-atlantic.com.