In a recent development, EasyJet and Virgin Atlantic are exploring the possibility of coming together in order to buy Gatwick airport. A report published in The Times stated that the two airlines have been holding discussions with financial backers over forming a consortium to propose a bid on the airport worth £2.5 billion. Provided their bid is successful, both the airlines have guaranteed to base a considerable number of their aircraft at Gatwick Airport. It is said that this move would significantly improve the revenue of the airport in future.  
 
At present, Easyjet and Virgin partly own the National Air Traffic Control Service (NATS) with five other airlines - bmi, British Airways, Monarch, MyTravel and Thompsonfly. It is most likely that some of them or all of these carriers would form part of the new consortium. When asked about the deal, a Virgin Atlantic spokesman neither confirmed nor denied the report.

He observed, "We have always been interested in bringing together a consortium to buy the airport. We are talking to lots of different parties at present and those talks continue."

BAA, the owner of the airport put up Gatwick for sale following the directives issued by the by the Competition Commission in September suggesting the break-up of the holdings by the operator. It is expected that next year the government will issue a ruling that would break the ownership of seven UK airports, which the commission claims to have created a monopoly in the region.