British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are urging the UK Government to veto an argreement to liberalise air traffic between Europe and the US.
An open-skies deal concluded by US and European Commission negotiators last week would allow BMI and other carriers to fly across the Atlantic from Heathrow.
BMI is desperate for the deal, but BA and Virgin want it rejected. A BMI spokesman said: “This is a major breakthrough. We will be urging the UK Government to embrace the benefits it will deliver.”
The deal would end the restriction of US operations to and from Heathrow to four carriers, allowing any European airline to operate from anywhere in Europe to any US city and vice versa – airports and slots permitting.
But while US carriers could also fly within Europe, say from Heathrow to Athens, European airlines would have no reciprocal right to do so in the US.