Airlines salivate at possibilities

0 Comments | USA TODAY, April, 2007 | by Barbara De Lollis

It's still 11 months until the trans-Atlantic air market is deregulated, but airlines on both sides of the pond are angling for their share of what's expected to be an explosion in lucrative trans-Atlantic travel.

Airlines "have been waiting 15, 20 years for this to happen," says aviation consultant Craig Jenks. "They are not willing to wait one minute more."

Delta, Virgin Atlantic, Continental and Aer Lingus are among those carriers positioning themselves for the coming change in rules, planning new routes and striking cooperative arrangements with other airlines.

After years of negotiations, the United States and European Union last month agreed to dismantle the patchwork of agreements that has limited trans-Atlantic air service since World War...