British Airways boss nixes relinquishing Heathrow slots

British Airways has managed, sometimes with great difficulty, to hold on to its valuable Heathrow runway slots for many years, and it seems that American regulators are trying to force the carrier into giving up some of them once again, as they seek major concessions before approving the tie-up with American Airlines and Iberia.

Although it may seem that the regulators have an upper hand with British Airways and are expected to demand that BA hand over 10 daily Heathrow slots, BA boss Willie Walsh isn’t likely to agree to the trade-off.

At the moment this is all speculation, but it is well documented that US authorities have attempted to get hold of Heathrow runway slots for some time – without success.

Willie Walsh, the BA chief executive, has questioned in the past why the carrier should have to give up any slots at all, and questions the reason behind the expectation. Insiders say that they expect US regulators will continue to make this a condition to the agreement, as they have done in the past.

Heathrow’s position as the world’s busiest airport makes it central to the global aviation industry. Any airline operating out of Heathrow which gained access to the slots would gain a priceless advantage.

www.britishairways.com