British Airways closes any talk of bidding for OpenSkies
BRITISH Airways plans to keep full ownership of its OpenSkies subsidiary after ruling out a sale or bringing outside investors on board, it emerged yesterday.
“We have no plans to sell OpenSkies or seek third party investment in the airline,” said BA.
The announcement follows growing speculation that BA has rejected several offers from private equity firms in Europe and the US to buy or take a stake in the business.
BA created OpenSkies last year after the European Union and the US backed a deal to liberalise transatlantic air travel.
The company began operating flights from Paris to New York in the summer of last year, using 82-seater Boeing 757 jets.
“We are reviewing all aspects of our business in the current economic climate, including our subsidiary OpenSkies,” added BA.
“OpenSkies is a high quality, premium airline that remains of strategic and financial value to us.”
Elsewhere, BA has appointed Rafael Sanchez-Lozano, managing director of Spain’s Iberia airline as a part-time director. It comes ahead of next year’s planned merger between the two companies.