EasyJet and Virgin Atlantic discuss Gatwick bid

EasyJet and Virgin Atlantic are considering the possibility of joining forces in order to buy Gatwick airport.

The two airlines are in discussions with financial backers regarding the formation of a consortium to make a £2.5 billion bid on the airport, according to a report in The Times.

Both carriers are said to have guaranteed that they will base a significant number of their aircraft at Gatwick if their bid is successful – a situation which would greatly improve the airport’s revenue in the future.

Currently, EasyJet and Virgin Atlantic are part owners of the National Air Traffic Control Service (NATS) with five other airlines – bmi, British Airways, Monarch, MyTravel and Thompsonfly. It is likely that some or all of these other carriers would be part of the consortium.

A Virgin Atlantic spokesman would neither confirm nor deny the report.

He said: “We have always been interested in bringing together a consortium to buy the airport. We are talking to lots of different parties at present and those talks continue.”

The airport owner, BAA, put Gatwick up for sale after the Competition Commission issued its report in September recommending the break up of the owner-operator’s holdings. It is expect that next year the government will rule that BAA’s ownership of seven UK airports constitutes a monopoly.

Thanks to www.telegraph.co.uk for the above quotes, for more information on this article please visit their website.

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