Originally Posted by
RobDBA
Originally Posted by
PotNoodle
This just seems like a costly mess, I reckon they won't last long beyond 3 years. Don't get me wrong I hope it does succeed though.
Why didn't the Competition regulators just give the slots directly to Aer Lingus instead of this confusing arrangement? EI is a semi-LCC so would probably be cheaper without a costly wet leasing and Virgin branded excersize.
I guess it's because this is the short term solution for Virgin to get everything up and running quickly, I can't imagine they would plan to run the routes long term in this way.
So the cynical would say it is so they can hold the slots with minimal investment until they can convince the authorities to let them use the slots for long haul routes. The less cynical view is that once they have proved the routes are viable they will buy their own airframes and employ their own staff, we'll see....
Feel free to count me as a cynic.