Case No COMPIM.6828- DELTA AIR LINES I VIRGIN GROUP I 

VIRGIN ATLANTIC LIMITED - QS - Questionnaire to Slot 

coordinators 

Deadline: 23/05/2013 

Questionnaire to Slot coordinators- QS 

On 15 May 2013, Delta Air Lines, Inc ("Delta") and Virgin Group Holdings Limited ("the Parties") notified to 

the Commission their planned acquisition of joint control over Virgin Atlantic Limited for the purposes of 

Article 3(2) of the EU Merger Regulation (the "Transaction"). 

Delta is an international airline with its headquarters in Atlanta, USA. Delta offers services to 357 

destinations in 66 countries on six continents. Delta is a founding member of the SkyTeam alliance, and 

also participates in a transatlantic joint venture with Air France, KLM and Alitalia. 

Virgin Atlantic Limited is the indirect holding company of Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited (Virgin Atlantic) 

and Virgin Holidays (VHols). VHols is a UK-based tour operator which supplies and distributes package 

holidays and ancillary products. Virgin Atlantic is aUK-based air carrier which provides services from 

Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Glasgow to 34 destinations worldwide. 

Delta and Virgin Atlantic have also agreed to enter into a metal-neutral profit-sharing joint venture on 

routes between UK and Canada, Mexico and the US. 

The Directorate-General for Competition of the European Commission must now investigate the effects of 

the Transaction on competition in particular on the markets for air transport of passengers. To this end, 

the Commission needs to gather relevant information from the Parties as well as from other actors such 

as consumer associations, airport managers, slot coordinators and civil aviation authorities. 

The European Commission is seeking your assistance and expertise to assess the impact of the proposed 

transaction . 

Your replies to the following questions as well as any other opinion on the effects of the Transaction you 

might consider relevant, are of importance to the investigation. We should also be grateful for any 

additional remarks you may wish to make relating to the proposed Transaction. If you consider that a 

particular question is not relevant, please indicate this and explain why. Please give all the requested 

value figures in EURO . You may find the exchange rates 

on the European Central Bank website: http'/fwww e'b int/stats/ex,hange/emofxref/html/index en html. 

Please reply to this questionnaire on behalf of all companies belonging to your group. 

Due to the deadlines set by the Merger Regulation, please reply by 23 May 2013. 

Thank you for your time and co-operation. 

Deadline for reply· 23 May 2013 

I. INTRODUCTION 

For your information, please find below the list of routes on which both Delta and Virgin Atlantic 

operate, either with non-stop or with one-stop services. 

The present questionnaire focuses on competition on these routes only (the "Transatlantic 

Routes"). 

Please note that for the purpose of the present questionnaire, "Transatlantic Routes" refers to 

these routes. 

A) Routes on which both Delta and Virgin Atlantic offer non-stop services (non-stop/non-stop 

overlap routes) 

London - New York 

London - Boston 
B) Routes on which Delta offers one-stop services and Virgin Atlantic offers non-stop services (one 

stop/non-stop overlap routes) 

London - Los Angeles 

London - San Francisco 

London - 0 rlando 

London - Las Vegas 

London- Miami 

London- Washington DC 

London - Chicago 

London- Cancun 

Manchester- Orlando 

Manchester- Las Vegas 

Please limit your answers to the assessment of these Transatlantic Routes. 

For the purpose of the present investigation, the Commission is also interested in better 

understanding the competitive situation at the following airports: 

LONDON: 

-Heathrow (LHR) 

- Gatwick (LGW) 

- London-City (LCY) 

NEW YORK: 

-John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) 

- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) 

BOSTON: 

- Logan International Airport (LGN) 

LOS ANGELES: 

- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) 

SAN FRANCISCO: 

-San Francisco International Airport (SFO) 

ORLANDO: 

-Orlando International Airport (MCO) 

-Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFM) 

LAS VEGAS: 

-Me Carran International Airport (LAS) 

MIAMI: 

- Miami International Airport (MIA) 

- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) 

WASHINGTON D.C. 

-Washington-Dulles International Airport (lAD) 

- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) 

CHICAGO: 

-Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORO) 

-Chicago Midway International Airport (MOW) 

CANCUN: 

- Cancun International Airport (CUN) 

MANCHESTER: 

-Manchester Airport (MAN) 

For all the questions below, please reply only for the airport(s) with respect to which your entity 

acts as a Slot coordinator. 

II. BACKGROUND INFORMATION 

Please describe briefly the activities of your organisation. In particular, please explain which 

1 
regulatory attributions are included in these activities. 

Confidential Reply: 

(Not pro vided) 

Non Confidential Reply: 

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued rules to establish Level 3 slot controls at New 

York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York's LaGuardia Airport (LGA), Newark Liberty 

International Airport (EWR), and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). In addition, the FAA 

has designated Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) 

as Level 2 airports. LGA and DCA primarily host U.S. domestic airline traffic, and the rules do not 

correspond to the WSG. The FAA designates an airport as Level 2 or Level 3 based prima rily on runway 

capacity and air traffic control factors. Local airport authorities may also determine that demand on airport 

facilities requires schedule facilitation . Those schedule reviews are administered by airport representatives 

and not the FAA. 

The FAA and the U.S. Department of Transportation are responsible for regulatory and policy issues 

re lated to slot allocation in the U.S. 

2 Please identify below all airports with respect to which your entity acts as a Slot coordinator: 

Non Confidential Reply: 

] London Heathrow (LHR) 

] London Gatwick (LGW) 

] London City (LCY) 

[X] New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) 

[X] New York Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) 

] Boston Logan International Airport (LGN) 

] Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) 

]San Francisco International Airport (SFO) 

] Orlando Internationa I Airport (MCO) 

]Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFM) 

] Las Vegas McCa rran International Airport (LAS) 

] Miami Internationa l Airport (MIA) 

] Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport (FLL) 

] Washington Dulles International Airport (lAD) 

[X] Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) 

] Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) 

]Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW ) 

]Cancun International Airport (CUN) 

] Manchester Airport (MAN) 

]Other airports 

2.1 

If your entity acts as a slot coordinator for another airport, please specify which other 

airport. 
Confidential Reply: 

(Not provided ) 

Non Confidential Reply: 

The FAA is also the slot coord inator for New York's LaGuardia Airport (LGA). 

For each airport with respect to which your entity acts as a slot coordinator, please provide 

3 information in relation to the slot capacities in the table below (if available, please submit 

corresponding graphs/tables, with hourly evolution for a representative day of each season). 

Confidential Reply: 

(Not provided ) 

Non Confidential Reply:...__ --····- ----------·-r··-- ... ·----.------------------1 

1 Total declared slot I Slot capacity for • Slot capacity for ' - Airport 

,.---------------+-capacity _L_~epartures arriva Is I 

: - EWR ; 81 movements/hour 1 • - - --------------. . . ..... ----+-----------· ---+-----------------------j 

_'_JFK_______ ·_ J_ moverJJent~/hour 1 I ··-·-------------~ 

' . --· -------------r------- --+·--- ·-------·····-r----· ·---·---l 

-------------------------------------+------

' --~-----·~----·-..J-.. ~-~------·-·------------·------1- --~----- -------------

4 For each airport with respect to which your entity acts as a slot coordinator, please provide slot 

data in relation to the lATA Summer 201 2 season: 

Confidential Reply: 

(Not provided) 

Non Confidential Reply: _______ -~-------

· · : Total numbe : Total number Total number ; Total number 

: A" t · Total number of ' of slots of slots 1 of slots that 1 of slots i 

· - · •rpor slot distributed ' granted to granted to ' were reverted 1 granted to . 

~-+--------------+----···-·-- ------+ l:)_~lta _yj!_gin Atl(!nti~ __ 1 _ _to t_h_e_pool_ __ ;.. new en~rc;~~ts _ ! 

I ' 1226 I ' 4 

I I EWR ! d .

1 164 ' 3 . 14 i dailyslots 

- · I average al Y ', daily slots daily slots ; daily slots ·. initial '!

1 

1 1 1 slots ' · · allocation ----- ------------~-- --------- -·. ---- ·-- ·--· ---· --~ ------~----------------i -·--i , I 12 i 

Is · 48 I daily slots 1 

da ily slots 1 daily slots initial 1 

• 1 !location 

- JFK 

: 1178 

1

,. average da ily daily slots 

: slots , --- _____ ...1..__ _______________ -'-------

' ! ----r----------< -~ 

! - ' i ~ ~-------------1- - ----·----... ----------- ---- ----~ ------- ·---i--

'-·- ..... ----- ------~ - --- --- ... - ----- ------ ---i------ 1 I '-- _:...__ ____________________ ' --------- __ __, ___________________ ... ____________ ~ -····· --· --- --------~--·----!...------ I ------~-.J 

5 For each airport with respect to which your entity acts as a slot coordinator, please provide slot 

data in relation to the lATA Winter 2012/20:13 season: 

Confidential Reply: 

(Not provid ed) 

Non Confidential Reply: ___ ---- 1 : Total number ' Total number Total number • Total number 

. I Total number of · of slots i of slots of slots that of slots · 

· - , Airport 1 slot distributed ' granted to jl granted to ! were reverted 1 granted to ' 

~---t-------- -+---- _______________ _;__l:) ~lta _________ -'(irg_i!' __ ~!J..a~t ~ to the poo _.J_!l~w en~_rants __ ; 
- EWR 1229 

average daily 

slots 

64 ' 3 12 4 

daily slots 1 daily slots daily slots , daily slots 

i 

: initial 

____ --.. --.----r------------- ________ e~llocation 

1179 12 

- JFK : average daily 

slots 

408 6 56 

daily slots · daily slots daily slots 

da ily slots 

· initial 

allocation 

;- ~-- --~----,..----·--- ----------- ---------- ------------------- -------------!------------------

I--_, __________ ___.,._ _______ -------

:.. - _.; _ _ ------ -- --- --- ------·-- ·-----------· ___________________________ .. __________ .. ________ _ 

6 Are there any limitations/constraints for airlines to get access to the airport(s) with respect to 

which your entity acts as a slot coordinator? 

Non Confidential Reply: 

(X) Yes 

( ) No 

Please explain your answer and if need be, differentiate according to the various 

airports for which your entity acts as a slot coordinator. Identify the nature of the 

6.1 limitations/constraints (e.g. runway limitation, environmental restrictions (e.g. night 

quotas), regulatory constraints, congestions related to terminals, gates, luggage belts, 

check-in stands, or other), if any. 

Confidential Reply: 

(Not provided) 

Non Confidential Reply: 

Each airport has runway constraints at various periods throughout the day. Add itionally, there may be 

other facility constraints, but these are managed by local airport representatives and not the FAA. 

If the airport(s) for which your entity acts as a slot coordinator is slot-constrained, please 

indicate if relevant: 

7 a. The hours of the day when congestion occurs. 

b. The days of the week when congestion occurs. 

c. Whether the limitations/constraints only exist during "peak times" (describe the time 

intervals which you consider as "peak times"). 

Confidential Reply: 

(N ot provid ed) 

Non Confidential Reply: 

JFK and EWR have slot constraints from 0600 to 2259 local time daily. The peak hours are generally from 

0700 to 0929 and 1300 to 2129 local t ime. 

LGA is slot constrained from 0600 to 2159 loca l time Monday-Friday, and 1200 to 2159 local time on 

Sunday. 

DCA is slot constrained from 0600 to 2359 local time daily. 

Having regard to the airport(s) for which your entity acts as a slot coordinator, please indicate 

on which occasions during the last four lATA seasons you have been unable to accommodate 

8 slot requests submitted by airlines (i.e. which slots were initially requested and which slots, if 

any, were actually granted- indicate the average time-window within which slot requests 

could possibly have been accommodated, as relevant): 

Confidential Reply: 

(Not provided) 

Non Confidential Reply: ____________________ _ --- -----------------------j 
- 1 Airport 

~-'-

- EWR 

- JFK 

, Occasions during the last four 

1 lATA seasons you have been 

i unable to accommodate slot · Rationale 

__ __,_..requests_ submitte~ tJY ~irljnfi!~ ______ -+---- ________ _ 

There have been several instances 

i each season 

1 at each airport where the FAA was 

! unable to confirm 

initial slot requests. The FAA works 

with carriers to 

allocate available slots in off-peak 

I times or to identify 

___ _,_ pote11tial slot_trade IJ_9rtner~ __ 

. There have been several instances 

each season 

1 at each airport where the FAA was 

unable to confirm 

1 initial slot requests. The FAA works 

with carriers to 

. allocate available slots in off-peak 

times or to identify 

_______ J_pote11ti9l si()!J_rade partne~?· ----------L---

------ -- ·- ----· ------- --------;----- --------- -------- --------------------~ 

I 

'---- L.._ ____________ - - --· -· 

9 Do you expect any slot shortages to arise over the next 3 to 5 years at one of the airports with 

respect to which your entity acts as a slot coordinator? 

Non Confidential Reply: 

(X) Yes 

( ) No 

9 .1 Please explain and if need be, differentiate between the airports with respect to which 

your entity acts as a slot coordinator. 

Confidential Reply: 

(No t provided ) 

Non Confidential Reply: 

The FAA has limited available slots at each slot-controlled airport. 

Please indicate whether the capacity at each of these airports is expected to change during 

9.2 the next 3 to 5 years. Describe any already planned or expected measures (during the next 

3 years) to alleviate the currently existing limitations/constraints. 

Confidential Reply: 

(Not provided ) 

Non Confidential Reply: 

No . 

Should an airline wish to start up new services on one of the Transatlantic Routes originating 

10 from one of the airports with respect to which your entity acts as a slot coordinator, could it 

find the necessary slots in this/these airport(s)? 

Non Confidential Reply: 

(X) Yes 

( ) No 
10.1 Please explain. If particular, if you reply yes, please explain how it could find them and 

how difficult it would be. 

Confidential Reply: 

(Not provid ed) 

Non Confidential Reply: 

Depending on planned operation time , the FAA could allocate available slots, or a carrier could seek slots 

on the secondary market. The difficulty of obtaining slots from either the FAA or another carrier is 

dependent on the carrier's planned operation time. 

III. EFFECTS OF THE TRANSACTION 

11 Which impact do you consider the proposed transaction will have on the competitive situation 

on the airport(s) witb respect to \Atbicb your entity acts as a slot coordinator? 

Reply: 

( ) Positive 

) Negative 

( ) Uncertain 

)There should not be any impact 

11.1 Please substantiate your reply and differentiate if need be between airports. 

Confidential Reply: 

(Not provid ed) 

Non Confidential Reply: 

As a slot coordinator, it is not appropriate for the FAA to comment on competitive impacts . Additionally, the 

U.S. Department of Transpo rtation is considering an application concern ing this same issue and thus may 

not comme nt outside the record while the proceeding is pending. 

12 Which impact do you consider that the proposed transaction will have on the competitive 

situation on the Transatlantic routes? 

Reply: 

( )Positive 

) Negative 

) Uncertain 

)There should not be any impact 

12.1 

If relevant, please distinguish between the routes and between time sensitive and nontime sensitive passengers[1 ]. 

[1] The Commission has in previous decisions made a distinction between: "time 

sensitive" (TS) or "premium" customers who tend to travel for business purposes, 

reQuire significant flexibility of their tickets and are ready to pay higher prices for this 

flexibility; and, "non-time sensitive" (NTS) or "non premium" customers who travel 

predominantly for leisure purposes, do not reQuire flexibility with their booking and are 

more price-sensitive. The Commission considered that non-time sensitive passengers 

typically tend to purchase restricted tickets while time sensitive passengers tend to 

purchase unrestricted tickets. 

Confidential Reply: 

(Not provided) 
Non Confidential Reply: 

As a slot coordinator, it is not appropriate for the FAA to comment on competitive impacts. Additionally, the 

U.S. Department of Transportation is considering an application concerning this same issue and thus may 

not comment outside the reco rd while the proceeding is pending. 

13 

Reply: 

( )Yes 

( ) No 

Do you consider that the proposed transaction will have a significant impact on the 

competitive situation on any other markets? 

13.1 If so, please explain why. 

Confidential Reply: 

(Not provided ) 

Non Confidential Reply: 

As a slot coordinator, it is not appropriate for the FAA to comment on competitive impacts . Additionally, the 

U.S. Department of Transportation is considering an application concern ing this same issue and thus may 

not comment outside the record while the proceeding is pending . 

14 Please provide any other comment you may consider relevant for the assessment of the 

present case. 

Confidential Reply: 

(Not provid ed) 

Non Confidential Reply: 

No additional comment. 

Thank you for your time and cooperation! 

Attachment 

(N ot pro vided)