Originally Posted by
SW7London
Does anyone know the legal basis that HAL is telling the airlines to stop selling tickets? Could this be considered interference in contracts?
Presumably HAL has advice it can do this, and no doubt ultimately decides what capacity the airport can operate at however previously they have told airlines to remove % of flights, now they are saying dont sell tickets/don't offer your services to customers.
I wonder if HAL is in the unique position it can dictate to its customers what they must do, but there is little or no regulation to force HAL to operate the airport in the national interest.
(An ill-defined term but you get what I mean - given the strategic importance of Heathrow what obligations does it have to operate in a competent manner to not do harm to the UK economy?)
I think that's why HAL are
asking airlines to stop selling tickets. It feels that HAL know if they
insist airlines stop selling tickets, then HAL are liable for compensation of airlines not being able to sell juicy last minute tickets.
Of course, the detail of this will be in the contracts, and we'll never see those unless things get to court. But it's a reasonable assumption given the wording of HALs request