The fall-out from the collapse of Monarch Airway continues, with British Airways parent – International Airlines Group (IAG) – chasing after the slots at Gatwick Airport… and winning them.
Monarch A321 landing at Birmingham, British Airways A320 taxing at Heathrow, Images – Economy Class and Beyond.
The majority of the slots were sold by the Monarch Airways receivers – KPMG according to City AM and The Telegraph.
Prices have not been disclosed.
According to BBC News, IAG is intending to use these slots to boost the British Airways presence.
But an IAG spokesman said they would be used “primarily” for British Airways.
“These slots will be used by the group’s airlines, primarily British Airways, enabling them to grow their presence at the airport and launch new destinations and add extra frequencies”
IAG’s Chairman – Willie Walsh – has expressed an intrest of maybe introducing Level or increasing Iberia Express services at Gatwick in the past.
The losers from this? British Airways rivals of course. EasyJet, Wizz Air and Norwegian would had loved these slots to expand their networks (and probably out of all them – Norwegian so it can grow its long haul network out of Gatwick).
It will be interesting to see what IAG does with these slots, and the restrictions where they can deploy aircraft to with these slots (if such restrictions exist).
There is still a substantial amount of slots left behind to be sold at Luton Airport – again – a location that easyJet and Wizz Air have bases in already.
There is still plenty of leftovers of Monarch Airways to fight for still…
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