easyJet wants Gatwick as HQ

NO-FRILLS airline easyJet wants Gatwick airport to be its main base. It has applied for take-off and landing slots to increase its presence at London's second airport, even though it would have to pay higher charges.

Low-cost rivals Ryanair and Go have also applied for slots there. The slots are becoming available as big carriers including BA, Virgin Atlantic and Alitalia cut operations at Gatwick because of a slump in passenger demand after 11 September.

BA has abandoned plans to turn Gatwick, which serves the lucrative market in London's commuter belt, into a second hub airport to complement Heathrow. EasyJet has built up its main base at Luton. But airline bosses have been angered by the airport's plans to raise charges.

They also think a move to Gatwick will allow easyJet to tap a bigger and wealthier market. EasyJet chief executive Ray Webster said: 'We would like the scale of our Gatwick operations to be two to three times bigger than those at Luton by around 2005.' He also wants to take over slots in Brussels, Zurich and Paris.