Aviation Industry Expert John Grant Offers Analysis and Insight into IAG Acquisition of bmi

LONDON, November 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

OAG, the global leader in aviation intelligence and a UBM Aviation brand, offers expert commentary on the impact of the IAG acquisition of bmi, announced November 4, 2011.

John Grant, EVP Networks, UBM Aviation, commented:
"The prime driver of the IAG acquisition of bmi is not only the slots at LHR, but especially the early morning arrivals slots into LHR, which are of extreme value. British Airways will now seek to expand their operations to Asia, where they need prime arrival slots at LHR in the morning to secure the premium business class traffic. We would expect to see markets such as Kuala Lumpur and Incheon, which British Airways currently does not serve, added in due course.

"This development will decrease British Airways' slot holding in LHR from a current level of 43% to 41%, whilst their capacity will increase from 41% to 46%, because the average bmi aircraft size is smaller than the British Airways average. Collectively this development means that the combined operations of British Airways, Iberia and American Airlines will account for some 55% of frequency from LHR.

"In terms of comparison, Lufthansa AG hold some 64% of aircraft movements in Frankfurt whilst Air France hold some 58% in Paris, and KLM hold around 52% in Amsterdam.

"Collectively this will allow British Airways and IAG to build a larger position at LHR and recover some of the competitive advantage that they are losing to other hubs at the moment. Combined with the impending BA fleet arrivals in the next few years, the decision makes great commercial sense to British Airways and the wider IAG business."

About John Grant:

John Grant is Executive Vice President Network Group, Airport Strategy & Marketing (ASM Ltd), a UBM Aviation company. He was appointed to this position in February 2011.

John has served as Senior Vice President of ASM since 2006. ASM is the leading consultancy group in the area of air service development for airports, and during his tenure there he has achieved a number of victories for the company and its clients, including the successful re-positioning of Kuala Lumpur as Asia's major low cost airline network centre, the expansion and development of Lima Airport into a major hub facility in South America, and led numerous other leading edge solutions to airport challenges across all major markets around the globe.

John has worked for a range of airlines and airports around the world in a number of commercial and operational areas, including finance, marketing and commercial management. He worked at British Caledonian, on the development of their Middle East network, and at Air UK and KLM where he undertook a number of key roles including the management of the commercial operations, and the complete rebranding of Air UK in 1994. He also headed up the domestic operations for KLMuk that included their pioneering development at London City Airport, where the airline led the market in recognising the potential of the airport facility.

John is a regular industry advisor to the BBC and appears frequently on BBC World, Breakfast News and various radio programmes providing insight on key topics.

About OAG

OAG, a UBM Aviation brand, is the trusted source for aviation information and analytical services, with data sourced from OAG's comprehensive and proprietary airline schedules, flight status, fleet, MRO and cargo logistics databases.  Our airline schedules database holds future and historical flight details for over 1,000 airlines and more than 4,000 airports. Our aggregated data feeds the world's global distribution systems and travel portals, and drives the internal systems of many airlines, airports, air traffic control systems, aircraft manufacturers, and government agencies around the world.  For more information, visit http://www.oag.com.

About UBM Aviation

UBM Aviation, a UBM company, brings together buyers and sellers of air travel and transport through our portfolio of products and services.  We specialize in the supply of data, analytics, consulting services, events and media related to the global aviation industry. Our leading brands include the official provider of aviation data and analytics, OAG; a leading provider of solutions for the air freight industry, OAG Cargo; the world-renowned provider of airport route development forums, marketing and networking events, Routes; the leading route development consultancy firm, Airport Strategy & Marketing (ASM); an international program of aviation exhibitions and conferences including the Airline Purchasing & Maintenance Expo and Conferences; and must-read aviation publications such as Aircraft Technology Engineering & Maintenance and Airline Fleet Management. For more information, visit http://www.ubmaviation.com.