Is there a backdoor into Heathrow?
 

I have been reading through all the threads on the Heathrow issue. It's very interesting reading. I wonder if there is a backdoor for CO to enter Heathrow. According to some of the posts, the CAA (hope I got that right) doesn't place restrictions on the number of British carriers. First off, I am assuming that if a British carrier applied for the route, it would stand a chance of getting permission, at least on the UK side. If the DOT hesitated, maybe there has to be a US component to the deal. Here's my plan. :)

Maybe Continental should talk to flyBE. Let's say flyBE were to apply for LHR/EWR rights, could the carrier lease Continental equipment and crews to run the service for them? The flight could be a codeshare: technically, a flyBE flight with a CO codeshare. flyBE doesn't have a base in LHR; it would have to have a presence there. I don't know if this idea would fly (no pun). The idea of flyBE with transatlantic service is kind of wacky, but if someone had told me twenty years ago the British Midland would fly to the US, I would have giggled at the one!

Hi,

Actually Bermuda II limits the number of UK carriers on LHR -US routes to 2 ( BA/VS) so bmi could not operate LHR-US routes ( with only 2 us carrires- AA/UA)

CO does operate via a "backdoor to LHR" via its codeshare with VS.

Regards

TBS

Not to mention that BD and CO are likely the next carriers to receive LHR rights anyway if the two sides permit another carrier from each side.

Those points clear it up. The information that I read on British carriers was wrong then. I realize that Virgin codeshares, but I was headed more towards what happen with Alitalia, where you booked an AZ flight and had CO metal and carbon :)

If Continental is next, I think that the carrier needs to think ahead and partner up with someone "hubbed" in LHR; it would help it compete with BA. I don't know if there are many options. I think that BD is tied up with Star Alliance.

CO already has an alliance with VS, and would be focusing on O&D traffic anyways if it obtained LHR rights.

I think we've dealt with the basics here but also if FlyBe were to apply in the UK for the route it would have to prove very substantially that it had the resources to operate it. Which of course they haven't.

BMI has tried a similar flanker (possibly a British expression !) recently and got sent packing by the UK CAA. BMI, who have a lot of Heathrow slots they use for European/domestic routes, applied for London Heathrow to Doha. They had no aircraft for this but were going to lease from Qatar AW, the Doha operator who just happen to want to increase their Heathrow services, and were going to codeshare with Qatar on the route (which Qatar already operate once daily in their own right). So it was to have an Qatar flight number, crews and aircraft, but operated on a BMI slot. It was just an attempt to sell a Heathrow slot (not directly allowed) which the CAA saw through.

Is CAA supposed to be BAA (British Airport Authority)?

-RM

Actually it was with Qatar Airways, not with Etihad (which operated out of AUH)

Cheers

NO, the CAA is the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority.

BAA is a publicly traded corporation that owns/leases and/or manages various airports around the world.

Yep, we used to have a CAA here too, then the FAA gobbled it up :)

Was that not CAB ? (Civil Aeronautics Board). They mainly did route licences, which deregulation did away with.

CAB? I thought there was a CAA too; maybe I am imagining it. That's right; they survived for a little while, but eventually got merged into the FAA.