Aer Lingus sale and Heathrow slots

Given the ever-likely sale of Aer Lingus to BA, I was wondering what the government proposed to do regarding the Heathrow slots. We've heard for many years and from successive governments that these slots are of strategic importance. I'm sure it will be part of the sale negotiations that they are kept for the Dublin-London route for x many years, but surely that day will arive and these slots will be used for other destinations into Heathrow.

So, I was wondering, should the government not just buy (via a market rate or via a compulsory purchase if necessary / possible) these Heathrow slots and just lease them to airlines for ever more? We'd certainly take a financial hit now but we would generate a permanent revenue stream whilst safe-guarding a strategic asset.

Firefly.

Hello,

I really don't see why so many Irish people have jumped on the "we must keep the Heathrow slots" badwagon of late...

Firstly, there has been absolutely no statement to confirm that Aer Lingus would lose all of it's current landing slots into Heathrow. However, it seems obvious that they are the "jewl in the crown" and of significant interest to the airlines potential owners, so what if they did use these landing slots for BA or Iberia instead ?

Sure, Ireland needs regular air links to London, but there is something like five or six airports within the London area, do we really have to be able to fly specifically into Heathrow, a couple of times a day ? Personally, I think the answer is no.

As for suggestion of direct flights being terminated, between Cork or Shannon and London... it's simply a case of use it or lose it folks ! The airlines will run services as long as the demand is there, it's that simple.

I personally think we really need to take this opportunity to sell Aer Lingus. The state doesn't need a minority shareholding in an airline, but it does need the cash the sale of it's shares could bring in !

As far as I know slots can only be traded between airlines. Some international flight organization is in control.

It would be a bad thing if governments started buying slots, you'd probably end up with the main airports controlled by cash rich middle eastern vanity airlines.

I don't think use them or lose them applies, it's a slot pair, if IAG can put a 400+ seater plane in the slots then a flight from Ireland with 180 seats could be dropped even if full and profitable.

I do think the value of the slots is overstated, in reality it would seem that not alone is there clamour to keep the slots for Irish flights, but specifically for Aer Lingus whether standalone or part of IAG. I don't think for instance the Irish government would accept Ryanair taking over the slots.

It might seem puzzling abroad that Irish power brokers prefer a non-Irish company over Ryanair.

I think some of the importance of the slots is the link it provides not to London but connections to Asia/South America /parts of the US etc etc.

This is not replicated by ryanair Flybe whatever other airline that flys into other airports.

The heathrow slots mean the connection time is a lot shorter and hence more appealling and manageable - I fly and connect with BA through Gatwick but on AL and as there are less times there wait time both ends is ridiculous to the point I avoid that journey as much as possible.

For holiday travel people might put up with it and large connection times in the US but business people try to avoid that.

But how to put an economic value on that I do not know.