France: Low-cost carrier eager to take up some 20,000 slots
EasyJet is to apply for some 20,000 take-off and landing “slots” at Orly airport in Paris, following the demise of the French carrier Air Lib.
According to The Times, Europe’s largest budget carrier is lining up an application for the massive number of slots after Air Lib was declared bankrupt, leaving some 45,000 slots up for grabs. EasyJet has long argued that it should be allowed to gain a presence at the French airport, from where it wants to set up a substantial network in and around France.
The newspaper says the French government will come under severe pressure to allocate a large proportion of the now-vacant slots to Air France – as long as the flag carrier guarantees to run specific routes within France AND take on many of the redundant Air Lib workers.
Industry analysts are making a connection with EasyJet’s decision to buy new planes from the part-French Airbus consortium; speculating that the decision could have been aimed at gaining favourable treatment in the division of slots at Orly.
While the airline has disputed the claims, The Times points out that other airlines have previously bought Airbus planes and then been given better take-off and landing rights at French airports.
