Virgin boss claims win in Heathrow transatlantic slot row

Virgin Atlantic boss Richard Branson today claimed victory over arch rival British Airways in his bid to prove that transatlantic slots are not readily available at Heathrow.

The millionaire had offered to donate £20m to a charity of BA’s choice if his rival provided Virgin with 10 pairs of slots to allow the airline to fly between Heathrow and the US.

In the event that BA failed to do so, Virgin suggested that the airline should pay the cash to charity.

The challenge, sent to BA chairman Lord Marshall in a letter, followed a newspaper article where a BA spokesman was quoted as rejecting a claim that access to Heathrow was too restricted.

The spokesman said: ‘‘It is not true that competitors can’t get into Heathrow. United Airlines has massively increased its services out of Heathrow. Virgin Atlantic also now has a very significant service.’’

But Branson said the deadline passed on Friday with BA unable to supply even one pair of slots.

‘‘I am saddened but certainly not surprised that, having reached the end of the challenge period, BA has not been able to supply Virgin Atlantic with even one pair of slots at Heathrow.

‘‘Both BA and American Airlines have disingenuously claimed that competitors can easily find slots at Heathrow for services to and from the US.

‘‘The truth is that slots are not available at Heathrow for transatlantic services. Having failed to rise to this challenge I do not expect to hear BA or AA repeating this claim ever again.’’

He added that BA and AA control over 60% of the Heathrow-US market, 100% on several key routes and around 70% of peak-time slots used for North Atlantic services, which he claimed was anti-competitive and could lead to increased prices and a reduced service.

Lord Marshall had earlier said: ‘‘What we have said to the competition regulators and the media is that Heathrow is not a closed airport, it is possible to obtain new slots as 10 airlines have done since 1997.

‘‘It is possible to obtain slots from the pool, by trading slots, and by obtaining them from alliance partners.

‘‘We have never said it is easy to get slots at Heathrow but it is possible.’’