British Airways has assured customers that normal service will continue at BMI as the airline works on the integration plan for its new London Heathrow-based sister company.
BA parent International Airlines Group (IAG) today completed the purchase of BMI's mainline operations for £172.5 million from Lufthansa, and is proposing to merge the two Heathrow airlines. However it is currently it is engaged in a consultation process with unions, which began last week.
"It's business as usual for both BMI mainline and British Airways customers," says British Airways chief executive Keith Williams. "We plan to operate BMI's Heathrow summer schedule, so customers can continue to book with confidence."
Williams says that the integration plan is subject to the outcome of a consultation with staff and unions. "We aim to make this transition as smooth as possible and we'll keep customers up to date with our progress," he adds.
IAG's slot portfolio at Heathrow will grow by an average of 42 daily slot pairs, which BA is expected to use to boost lucrative long-haul services. "We're already looking at options for exciting new destinations, particularly in Asia and we're hoping to announce a new route soon," Williams says.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
