USir Richard Branson: Isivumelwano se-BA-BMI sithatha i-UK indize ibuyele ezikhathini zobumnyama

Abagibeli babhekene nezindleko eziphakeme zokugibela kanye nezinsizakalo ezincishisiwe phakathi kwezindiza zaseScotland kanye neLondon Heathrow uma iBritish Airways iphumelela ukuthatha izimbangi ze-BMI, kusho i-Virgin Atlantic.

Inkampani yezindiza yenza lesi simangalo njengoba ifaka isikhalazo esisemthethweni mayelana nokuhlanganiswa okuhlongozwayo kwe-European Commission.

Ithe abagibeli bazosala “nokukhetha okukodwa” ezindizeni eziphakathi kwe-Aberdeen ne-Edinburgh ne-Heathrow.

Ngasekupheleni konyaka odlule, umnikazi we-BA u-IAG wavuma isivumelwano esibophezelayo sokuthenga i-BMI eLufthansa.

Lesi sinyathelo, esingaphansi kokugunyazwa yizinhlangano zokuncintisana, sizonikeza i-BA ukuzimela kwemizila phakathi kwe-Heathrow namadolobha amathathu amakhulu e-Scotland.

Esethulweni sayo esisemthethweni kwikhomishana, uVirgin uthe iBA izoba “nethuba kanye nezindlela” zokwenyusa imali yokugibela ngendlela emangalisayo futhi yehlise ukuhamba kwezindiza emizileni.

'Iminyaka emnyama'

Inkampani yezindiza ka-Sir Richard Branson yakhomba ukuhoxiswa kwe-BMI kwezindiza zayo zisuka e-Heathrow ziya e-Glasgow ngasekuqaleni kuka-2011, okwashiya i-BA njengokuwukuphela komqhubi.

Ithi idatha yemboni ikhombisa ukuthi lokhu kuholele ekutheni imali yokugibela ekhokhelwa abagibeli inyuke ngo-34%, kanti inani lezindiza emzileni lehle cishe ngesigamu.

IVirgin iphinde yathi okungenani abagibeli baseScotland abayizigidi eziyi-1.8 babhekane nokukhuphuka kwentengo.

USir Richard uthe ukuthatha izintambo "kuzobuyisela amaBrithani endizeni enkathini yobumnyama".

Uthe: “Ngesikhathi iBritish Airways ishiywa ukuphela kwendlela yomgwaqo iGlasgow eya eHeathrow ngo-2011, imali yokugibela ekhokhelwa abahambi baseScotland yenyuka ngo-34% ezinyangeni eziyisithupha. Lokho akuzuzisi, lokho kuwukuphula umhlane futhi akulungile ngokusobala.

“I-BA isivele isebenza ku-60% wemizila ye-BMI ngakho-ke lesi sinyathelo simayelana nokukhipha umqhudelwano.”

Ubuye wengeza wathi: “Abalawuli abakwazi ukuvumela iBritish Airways ukuthi ithunge indiza yase-UK futhi ikhiphe impilo emphakathini ojikelezayo waseScotland.

"Kubalulekile ukuthi iziphathimandla ezilawulayo, e-UK nase-Europe, zihlole lokhu kuhlangana futhi ziqinisekise ukuthi ziyamiswa."

I-IAG ithe iyazethemba iziphathimandla ezilawulayo ukuthi zizosivuma isivumelwano.

'Umncintiswano onempilo'

Esitatimendeni, ithe: “I-BMI iyinkampani yezindiza eyenza ukulahlekelwa okukhulu.

“Ukuyidayisela i-IAG kunikeza isixazululo esingcono kakhulu kubathengi baseBrithani kanye ne-UK plc, ukuthola imisebenzi eminingi kunalapho inkampani yezindiza ibiphukile futhi ithengiswe ngezikhala zayo ze-Heathrow.

“Lesi sivumelwano ukuphela kwendlela yokuvikela izinsiza ezifundeni zase-UK. Sizibophezele ekugcineni amasevisi ukusuka e-Belfast kuya e-Heathrow nokwandisa izindiza eziya e-Scotland.

“Kude nokunciphisa, iBritish Airways yengeze izihlalo zamasonto onke ezingu-4,000 ezinhlelweni zayo kusukela eHeathrow kuya eGlasgow ngonyaka odlule.

"I-Virgin Atlantic ayikaze indize iye eScotland futhi, ngokwazi kwethu, ayinazo izinhlelo zokwenza lokho."

Ingeze yathi: “IHeathrow inomncintiswano onempilo nezinkampani zezindiza ezingaphezu kuka-80 ezisebenza esikhumulweni sezindiza. Iyingxenye yemakethe yaseLondon iyonke futhi sibhekene nokuncintisana okukhulu kwezindiza ezikhumulweni zezindiza ezinhlanu zaseLondon. "

Ukunyakaza 'okulimazayo'

Idlanzana lama-MEPs aseScotland kanye nama-MSP aveze ukukhathazeka kwawo mayelana nemiphumela yokuhlangana noKhomishana Wezokuncintisana we-European Union uJoaquin Almunia, bethi lesi sinyathelo singaba nomthelela omkhulu olimazayo ekukhetheni nasekuqhudelaneni kwabagibeli eScotland.

U-MEP we-SNP u-Alyn Smith uthe: “Uma lesi sinyathelo siqhubeka i-IAG izoba yedwa emizileni i-Edinburgh-Heathrow kanye ne-Aberdeen-Heathrow: lokhu kungaholela ekwehlisweni kwesevisi kanye nokwenyuka kwentengo.

"Lokhu kungase kube yinkinga futhi kubagibeli abanezindiza ezixhumanisa nazo zonke izindiza ezisuka e-Aberdeen nase-Edinburgh abaphoqwe ku-Terminal 5 yase-Heathrow."

U-Tory MSP uMurdo Fraser, naye oke waphakamisa lolu daba ne-Office of Fair Trading, uthe: “Okungikhathaza kakhulu ukuthi kusho ukuthini eScotland ngokuthathwa okuhlongozwayo, ikakhulukazi, umthelela ongaba khona emncintiswaneni emkhakheni wezindiza e-UK nokuthi i-BA izokwenza izinguquko ekuvameni kwezindiza phakathi kweScotland ne-UK noma umthamo wonkana."

Ilungu lePhalamende le-Edinburgh Liberal Democrat uMike Crockart uthe izixhumanisi zomoya phakathi kwe-Edinburgh neLondon “zibalulekile” kumabhizinisi nezivakashi.

Wengeze wathi: “Isivumelwano esihlongozwayo siphakamisa ukukhathazeka okukhulu mayelana nokuncintisana nokukhethwa kwabagibeli.

"Akusiyona nje inkinga mayelana nezindiza eziqondile phakathi kwamadolobha amakhulu aseScotland neLondon Heathrow, kodwa futhi mayelana nomthelela ongaba khona emqhudelwaneni wokuxhuma imizila emhlabeni wonke."