This buyout is ridiculous, I don't blame FR for trying or BA for participating, as it is good for business but the consumer will be truly destroyed if this buyout even gets considered.

Most countries have at least a flag carrier and at least 1 LCC and at least 1 smaller/regional airline. Spain has Iberia, Air Europa, Air Nostrum, Ryanair and Easyjet. I respect that the last 2 are foreign but they have a Spanish bases with signifcant operations in the country.

Even tiny countries have more than 1 airline, Norway has SAS, Norwegian, Wilderoe, Cimber etc. FR has a base in Oslo also.

Allowing a single airline over 80% of an island nations air market is damaging. And the single airline that I recall is anti-competitive and predatory (see EZY in Ireland for example). If EI was in trouble like BD was then it is a whole different story however EI is a profitable and sustainable business.

I cannot see this gaining approval, because of the above points and Ireland-LHR will become a monopoly. If the CC were extremely harsh to BA and made them give domestic slots to VS despite EZY having a huge London-Scotland presence then I cannot see this standing a chance.

ORK is a huge market and BA get tonnes of connecting traffic there, it would be equivalent to BA axing a destination like HAM. I would be surprised to see it loose an LHR link.