BMI fights to retain valuable airport slots

One thing that makes the BMI airline especially valuable is the number of slots that it has at Heathrow airport. These slots are worth approximately 770 million euros and the airline can not afford to lose them. If BMI does not use the slots that it has 80 per cent of the time they will be forced to forfeit them.

Between rising fuel cost and an economy that is suffering the number of passengers flying has decreased tremendously.

BMI airlines has announced plans to fly short trips with a limited number of people onboard in a process that will help to secure their slots at Heathrow airport. This type of flight has been nicknamed a “ghost flight.” One unfortunate way that airlines can secure their slots at an airport is to cancel the flight shortly before takeoff. While it is not as costly as a ghost flight it wrecks serious chaos for those set to travel on the cancelled flights.

The Chief Executive Office of BMI airlines, Tim Bye, said “We have to keep flying to preserve our slots. What might have been a marginal service in most winters will become even worse, partly because of the price of fuel and partly because of the drop-off in demand that the general economic cycle will bring. Economic pressures will drive the demand down even more than airlines would normally expect.”

Bye went on to say “The demand [for airline seats] will drop off at a greater rate than ever before during the winter. Some will be better placed than others to weather it. But, fundamentally, I would be surprised if more than a handful will be confident enough to operate all services at a profitable level.”

www.flybmi.com