News: BMI and VIrgin take on BA transatlantic dominance
Flights > News > # 1430 (16/08/2007)
BMI and Virgin Atlantic are looking to form partnerships with American carriers on transatlantic flights as part of a strategy to take on British Airways.
BMI has submitted an application to the US Department of Transport requesting permission to code-share with United Airlines. Virgin already has a code-share arrangement with Continental on flight to New York, and has applied to extend its partnership to another US city, Chicago, to which Virgin began flying in April.
The airlines want to take advantage of the “open skies” agreement, which will liberalise transatlantic travel from next March. The change in rules will allow any airline to operate from Heathrow, the main transatlantic hub, to the US.
BMI is currently not allowed to fly this route, but plans to launch a US service when the new rules come in to force. It is seeking a code-share so it can put BMI passengers on to United flights leaving London for New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. This will allow the airline to use its existing Heathrow slots for US flights without having to buy new aircraft.
Virgin is expanding its code-share with Continental because the deal will give it greater access to the American domestic network – the decidedly one-sided open skies deal does not allow foreign airlines to operate within the US.
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