Open skies agreement leads to Heathrow sardines

London’s Heathrow International Airport is the busiest airport in the world and a principal hub for inter-European travel and international connections to the continent alike. With the Open Skies agreement signed between the United States and the European Union, the airport that’s currently operating at 98% capacity will have to perform some serious timetable shuffles to accommodate both the existing routes and those of airlines wanting to take advantage of the agreement.

Visible changes are set to appear in the next 3 to 5 years, with significant scheduling alignments taking much longer. American airlines like Northwest, Continental and Delta are all in negotiations to slip two or three routes into available slots, but it’s not going to be as easy as just asking for them. Certain slots held by European partner airlines are being bought and jockeyed for in order for Europeans like KLM and Air France to give their alliance members a head start.

Chief executive from Virgin Atlantic is up front with how to get the job done, saying, ‘We all put requests in for changes and more slots at Heathrow, but it doesn’t happen because the airport is too busy. It’s a fruitless exercise. We have not had a pairs of slots come out of the system since 1997. To get them at Heathrow you have to buy them.’

www.virgin-atlantic.com