KPMG

Large private credit institutional investors are playing a dominant role in aviation financing.

IAG, the owner of British Airways and Aer Lingus, is to expand its presence at Gatwick Airport after striking a deal to buy the majority of slots vacated by the collapse of Monarch. Hungarian carrier Wizz Air is also set to take Monarch's former slots at London Luton.

The administrators of failed British airline Monarch have revealed that advanced sale talks were held in the run up to the carrier’s collapse, while its management team were also mulling a change in business strategy to focus on profitable long-haul routes.

Monarch’s administrators have won a High Court appeal to sell its airport slots at London Gatwick and London Luton.

Take-off and landing slots at London Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham that were previously controlled by collapsed carrier Monarch Airlines are set to be reallocated to other airlines after administrators lost a legal bid to retain them.

KPMG is to seek a judicial review after it emerged Monarch could be stripped of its take-off and landing slots, thought to be worth about £60m.

Monarch Airlines’ operations have been suspended after the troubled British carrier entered administration.