Virgin Atlantic is appealing against the European Commission’s approval of International Airlines Group’s acquisition of BMI.
“We will challenge every aspect of this process which if allowed to stand, will undoubtedly damage the British airline industry for years to come,” said Sir Richard, Virgin Atlantic’s president.
He added that the “deal was agreed with lightning speed and we think the number of slots offered is derisory,” said Sir Richard.
IAG has denied claims that the BMI deal was approved without proper review.
“We were talking to the European Commission for six months about this process and they did a very thorough and detailed examination of the case,” an IAG spokeswoman said. “We believe that the London market is highly competitive.”