Airlines fearful over London City Airport sale
The sale of London’s smallest airport, which is particularly popular with business travellers due to its proximity to Canary Wharf and the city’s financial district, was announced last week with a consortium led by the Ontario Teachers’ pension fund and Austrian company Borealis beating other competitors to the deal.
The £2bn price tag has drawn considerable criticism from the airline industry, however, with IAG’s Willie Walsh calling it foolish and warning he was prepared to pull most of British Airways’ fleet while the CityJet executive chairman told the Irish Examiner the airport’s future would be in doubt were a sale to be completed at that price.
Speaking as CityJet was announced as the official airline of the Kinsale 7s rugby tournament, CityJet chief commercial officer Cathal O’Connell said the Irish airline was concerned the airport’s new owners could hike airline charges following the takeover.
“We are concerned that the sale of the airport could lead to an increase in charges at the airport.
“That’s a concern that we share with all other airlines who are operating from London City Airport and it remains to be seen whether those fears are turned into reality by the new owners of the airport.
“We certainly believe the airport has a great future but obviously if the cost base of operating into the airport increases airlines need to respond to that,” Mr O’Connell said.
Mr O’Connell added that CityJet would engage with the winning consortium over potential airline charge increases “as appropriate” but said the onus was on the new owners in that regard.
London City Airport is the Irish airline’s main hub with flights from Dublin and Cork, as well as other cities across Europe.
CityJet also operates routes to the French cities of Nantes and La Rochelle from Cork Airport.
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