Airlines and airports
Airlines and airports play a vital role in the leisure industry and represent an increasingly competitive market area.
Our clients in this sector have recognised that, to create value and compete, they need to reduce their cost base through downsizing and outsourcing, to stimulate consumer spend through loyalty programmes, cross-selling and the creation of new revenue channels, and to strengthen their position and share risk through joint ventures and alliances.
As a multidisciplinary international firm, we are able to offer a comprehensive range of services to help meet such diverse needs, and to provide the high quality legal advice which helps to ensure the success of their shorter and longer term strategies.
Our experience in the airlines and airports sector includes advising:
- British Airways on a number of alliances, involving code-sharing, reciprocal frequent flyer programmes and benefit sharing arrangements, with several airlines including American and LOT Polish Airlines
- the Greek government on a public/private joint venture company awarded a 30 year concession to finance, construct and operate the new Athens International Airport at Spata which also required the co-ordinated closure of the existing airport at Hellenikon and the transfer of essential equipment and personnel to the new airport at Spata overnight
- clients including Air Miles Travel Promotions Limited and British Airways Executive Club in relation to their loyalty programmes
- a consortium on its bid for a minority shareholding on Hamburg Airport
- British Airways on the outsourcing of its catering operations at Heathrow and Gatwick to Gate Gourmet and Alpha respectively and on the disposal of its mobile telecoms business and related long term services agreement
- ABB on the development of Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport in South Africa, a green field project requiring the assumption of the operation of the existing Nelspruit Airport serving the Kruger National Park during the construction phase of the new airport followed by the simultaneous closure of Nelspruit and the opening of KMIA
- clients including British Airways on co-branded credit card programmes
- in connection with the franchise agreement for a new cargo terminal at Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong
- the consortium selected by the Eqyptian government in connection with a BOT concession for the expansion and operation of the International Airport at Sharm-El-Sheikh and associated construction, operation and finance arrangements including the development of the new terminal building and the refurbishment of the existing terminal building
- a management company on the $215m purchase of the ABB air handling business
- British Airways on its franchise arrangements with a number of airlines including British Mediterranean, NJI and BASE
- a large Chinese airline on immigration and branch registration issues