Aviation: airline won't cancel flights
In a bizarre twist on the "fuel's too expensive so we are cancelling flights" debate, one UK airline has announced that it is to go against the flow.
BMI (which used to be British Midland, then adopted the trendy non-capitalised bmi as its logo and seemingly its name) has worked out something strange: its slots at overcrowded London Heathrow are worth a lot of money and it can't afford to lose them. But if it fails to fly, then its slots would be taken away.
So, facing increasing cost and the prospect of reducing load, the airline says that if there are any passengers booked on its flights, it will make them.
The importance of keeping the slots - for which there is great demand - is underlined by the airline's determination to keep its mainly domestic routes flying even if they are uneconomic.
BA has said that it intends to cancel as many as 5% of its flights and to raise ticket prices by 4%.
Given that the price of tickets on flights by many international l carriers have doubled in the past two years or so, four percent seems a small price.
However, for travellers out of the UK who can make plans several weeks ahead, there are bargains to be had. Travel agents are advertising business-class flights to Bangkok for as little as GBP1450. Buying a Bangkok-London return in Bangkok currently costs almost double that price.
UPDATE 17 July: bmi has denied that it intends to fly empty or near empty flights. But it is bound by the requirement to fly at least 80% of its scheduled flights or risk losing its slots.
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