Open skies, T5 'will make flights cheaper'

Prices for flights to North America from Heathrow Airport look set to fall following the open skies agreement and the opening of the airport's terminal 5, according to reports.

The Wall Street Journal has said that figures from aviation consulting firm Innovata have suggested that the number of seats on flights to North America from London is set to increase by 22 per cent over the summer compared with the same time in 2007.

According to the newspaper, the open skies agreement between the EU and the US has prompted a number of airlines to decide to start flying from Heathrow to the US, filling the spaces left by British Airways as it moves to its new T5 home.

Continental Airlines, Delta, Northwest Airlines, US Airways and Air France-KLM are all expecting to introduce a service, meaning prices across the board should fall as a result of increased competition.

Currently, Heathrow handles a quarter of all traffic travelling between the EU and the US, the Wall Street Journal claims.

According to the British Airways website, the first passengers using T5 will travel with the airline on March 27th.

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