, when Oman Air acquired rights to a morning arrival in February 2016 from Air France-KLM.Aeroflot held 70 weekly slot pairs at Heathrow prior to Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine in February. The state-owned airline was stripped of them as part of sanctions against Russia. Aeroflot is banned from landing at UK airports.Virgin Atlantic was among the other beneficiaries of Aeroflot's slots being reallocated, the Evening Standard reported on Monday. The transatlantic airline brought forward plans to fly to Tampa, launching its inaugural service to the Florida city last week. Sir Richard Branson's airline began operating from Heathrow in 1991.Canada's Westjet, China Airlines, Columbian carrier Avianca and India's Vistara also shared in what is being described as a 'slots windfall' to airlines at the airport.Stephen and Peter Bond have owned Loganair for a quarter of a century, during which time the airline has cornered the market for regional flying. Based in Paisley, Glasgow, the airline also provides lifeline services to the Scottish islands.Passenger numbers are expected to hit 1.4 million in 2022. The airline also operates services to oil rigs as well as flying letters and parcels on behalf of the Royal Mail.The Bond brothers sold){kind=link}
Britain’s biggest regional airline benefits from sanctions against Russia’s Aeroflot
Heathrow airport has welcomed its first new British airline in nearly three decades because of the war in Ukraine.Loganair, Britain’s biggest regional airline, has been handed lucrative take-off and landing slots at Heathrow following sanctions against Russian flag carrier Aeroflot. It is the first British airline to begin flying from the airport since British Mediterranean in 1994.The allocation, made by a central coordinator, will come as a boon to millionaire Bond brothers that own Loganair, who have recently put the airline up for sale.Slots at Heathrow are highly sought-after. Once allocated, airlines can choose to sell or lease them to a third party. The highest price paid for a single pair of slots at the airport was $75m (£66m), when Oman Air acquired rights to a morning arrival in February 2016 from Air France-KLM.Aeroflot held 70 weekly slot pairs at Heathrow prior to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February. The state-owned airline was stripped of them as part of sanctions against Russia. Aeroflot is banned from landing at UK airports.Virgin Atlantic was among the other beneficiaries of Aeroflot’s slots being reallocated, the Evening Standard reported on Monday. The transatlantic airline brought forward plans to fly to Tampa, launching its inaugural service to the Florida city last week. Sir Richard Branson’s airline began operating from Heathrow in 1991.Canada’s Westjet, China Airlines, Columbian carrier Avianca and India’s Vistara also shared in what is being described as a “slots windfall” to airlines at the airport.Stephen and Peter Bond have owned Loganair for a quarter of a century, during which time the airline has cornered the market for regional flying. Based in Paisley, Glasgow, the airline also provides lifeline services to the Scottish islands.Passenger numbers are expected to hit 1.4 million in 2022. The airline also operates services to oil rigs as well as flying letters and parcels on behalf of the Royal Mail.The Bond brothers sold their helicopter business for £250m in 2011. They are understood to have retained Rothschild to oversee the sales process, which is expected to conclude next year.
Jonathan Hinkles, Loganair chief executive, said: “Regional connectivity is the essence of Loganair’s business, and we’re delighted to see the connectivity that we offer will be safeguarded into the future with this new, permanent slot allocation at the UK’s only major hub airport.
“It’s also hugely encouraging to see the steps which Heathrow has recently taken to encourage this regional connectivity through its fees and charges for 2023, and we’re looking forward to building on this newly-established position.”
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