British Airways

Emirates' Spanish expansion highlights Iberia's long-haul weakness to the east

Emirates' announcement to open a daily service to Barcelona and an additional daily flight to Madrid, after only entering the country in 2010, shows how Spain is unique for Emirates in being a major European market with no incumbent local competition since Iberia operates what it calls a "90 degree hub": its long-haul traffic, a successful operation, is almost entirely to the Americas, leaving Spain's demand for medium- and long-haul services east of Europe to be fulfilled by foreign carriers. Emirates does not target Iberia's Americas network from Spain but does focus on Africa, where Iberia has limited service, the Middle East, where Iberia only serves Cairo and Tel Aviv (the latter of which Emirates will not serve) and Asia-Pacific, where Iberia has no service to at all.

British Airways/IAG with bmi looks to re-establish world leadership – and long term survival

It can be a fine line between survival and success, just as the blowtorch of a threatened existence provides a powerful motive to pursue ambitious goals.

Last month’s International Airlines Group (IAG)/British Airways move on bmi is only one more piece in the strategic kaleidoscope opening out in front of the Group Chairman, Willie Walsh. The world is his oyster at present. Answering a question following the bmi purchase announcement, Mr Walsh said that despite the uncertain economic environment that Europe’s politicians have created, this was a time of opportunity. His airline is well placed now to capitalise and, as bad news for others spells bargains in the marketplace, the time could well be ripe. In the process, London Heathrow Airport is firmly in the spotlight as Virgin Atlantic also remains a sale possibility. Yet for BA and all of its major rivals, the elephant in the room remains how to service shorthaul network connections profitably.

Etihad moves on Air Berlin and the world’s aviation axis shifts. What will Willie do next?

Etihad’s already anticipated acquisition of a large minority share in Air Berlin will surprise few, but its potential to alter the global balance of international airline activity may well cause major ructions in 2012. Lufthansa sees the Gulf carriers as its biggest threat as they perfect the art of sixth freedom operations; and to have the fastest growing of them established in its own capital city will shake more than the balance of power in Germany.

For Etihad’s move is surely just one step now in breaking down the sharp division between, on one side, the new generation airlines and, on the other, the established European big three of Lufthansa, Air France-KLM and British Airways-Iberia (International Airlines Group, IAG). The latter, a leader of the oneworld alliance to which airberlin will shortly belong, is also, under Willie Walsh’s leadership, patently on the prowl for new and probably surprising ventures.

Air Canada and American Airlines: former Air Canada CEO on the 1980s UK-Canada bilateral dispute

On 30-Nov-2011, CAPA published an article by Chris Lyle entitled American Airlines Goes Broke: Can a National Airline be allowed to Fail?

Here former Air Canada President and CEO, Pierre Jeanniot, offers an alternative view of realpolitik and corrects the record on one of the more contentious bilateral disputes of all time - between Canada and the UK in the 1980s. The Canadian government has not always displayed the protectionist face it does today and in that confrontation, the UK government showed how it too could look after its own in a good old-fashioned tit-for-tat battle. One outcome was that Canada took the extreme step of withdrawing from the 1944 International Air Services Transit Agreement, thus removing British airlines' privileges to overfly Canadian territory en route to the US. Sanity eventually prevailed.

IAG acquisition of British Midland would give British Airways 20-40% capacity increase at Heathrow

The in principle agreement between British Airways and Iberia owner International Airlines Group (IAG) to acquire British Midland from Lufthansa would allow British Airways to increase its number of seats out of prized and slot-restricted London Heathrow airport by 20% to 40% under a range of scenarios. Oneworld's share of traffic at London Heathrow could potentially increase from 47% to 60%.

With such dominating control of capacity from British Airways and oneworld, it is little wonder Virgin Atlantic is trying to secure a deal with Lufthansa for British Midland and its valuable 9% share of Heathrow slots. A Virgin Atlantic acquisition of British Midland, even if British Airways is close to signing the deal, would add to Virgin's bargaining power as it seeks to form or join an alliance to remain competitive.

A short statement from IAG on 4-Nov-2011 about the in principle agreement it hopes to finalise in coming weeks ends Lufthansa's long quest to shed itself of under-performing acquisition British Midland.

IAG to establish new LCC subsidiary Iberia Express

International Airlines Group (IAG), the parent company of British Airways and Iberia, will launch a new subsidiary called Iberia Express from summer 2012 in a bid to boost margins on Spanish short- and medium-haul services. Iberia Express is being established to provide a more competitive offering in the Spanish domestic and European market amid rising challenges from the high-speed rail network and LCCs, notably Ryanair and easyJet, which both have bases at Madrid Barajas and Barcelona El Prat.

Ryanair and easyJet operate large and growing domestic and European networks, and have overtaken Iberia as the two largest operators of services between Europe and Spain. Iberia has found it a challenge to compete with these carriers in light of its high flight crew costs and lower productivity.

The LCC strategy is also part of efforts by IAG to reduce the carrier’s cost base and return Iberia to profitability.