Ryanair is interested in the slots that International Airlines Group (IAG) is likely to have to sell if the European Commission approves its takeover of Air Europa, the budget carrier said in a June 12 business newspaper.
"Ryanair is keeping a close eye on the integration of Air Europa, which is part of IAG's Iberia group, and Iberia, which is based in Madrid, Barajas," said Elena Cabrera, communications manager for Ryanair in Spain and Portugal. "It's as much about the assets as it is about the two competitors merging."
We think it's a perfectly logical operation. There are too many airlines in Europe and mergers fit the market logic. We're keeping an eye on the process as we're interested in the possibility of slots being released at different airports. We'd like to have slots at both Canary Islands and Balearic islands, as well as here in Madrid. But in reality, we're open to any possibility because we're in a period of growth in Spain, she said.
She added that the Irish airline would fight for "an objective distribution" if it became clear that Spain's flag carrier was trying to get a deal approved by suggesting which parts of business and which companies it would carry out its concessions on.
Iberia's first attempt at buying Air Europa, at the start of 2020, was for Volotea, based in Asturias, to take over some short-haul slots and routes, while World2Fly, based in Spain, would take over some long haul slots and routes. However, this didn't impress the Brussels' antitrust regulator.
Cabrera stated that Ryanair would strive to prevent Iberia from being the one to determine who will provide the production, as the usual practice is to select an individual who does not represent genuine competition.
