BA chief reveals airport capital talks

FLIGHTS from London to Leeds Bradford International Airport could be revived after British Airways today revealed it was in talks to launch services from Heathrow to the region.

Willie Walsh, head of IAG, the parent company of British Airways, said flights from the capital’s biggest airport to Leeds Bradford could be launched and that discussions were ongoing.

Tony Hallwood, commercial director at Leeds Bradford International Airport, said: “We look forward to working to take this opportunity forward.”

Mr Walsh said that British Airways’ purchase of bmi from Lufthansa in April had allowed the airline to “manage its wider Heathrow slot portfolio more effectively”.

“Airports across the UK and beyond have contacted us about starting services and, subject to reaching satisfactory agreement with them, we plan to also launch flights from Heathrow to Leeds Bradford, Rotterdam and Zagreb and increase frequencies to existing key destinations,” he said.

Leeds Bradford lost its direct link with London in March 2009 when BMI ceased its route to London Heathrow.

Flybe revived the link with a route to London Gatwick in June 2009, but it lasted under two years. Since then there have been no direct flights to the capital from the airport.

IAG today said its first-quarter loss widened as fuel costs crimped margins, European economies slowed and pilots at its Spanish Iberia unit staged strikes.

IAG’s operating loss was 249m euros, compared with a 102m euro shortfall a year earlier.