I don’t think I’m missing the point, I think the point is a bit different. They’re flying empty planes because they want to keep gates away from other airlines. That’s on them. They don’t need to fly the planes.
The real story is “Lufhansa plans to waste massive carbon to prevent competition.” They’re not the innocent bystander here.
And if an airline that actually has passengers gets the slots, that’s worthwhile. That Brussels would give unused slots to someone else that lacks passengers too would be a silly thing, the kind of silly thing that’s all too likely too.
I’m not saying it’s a good rule to have at this juncture. But what’s good for Lufthansa is not necessarily good for the world.
Inspire is a better word than force. Or choose.
Burning money to keep competitors away from resources is anti-competitive.
Businesses come and go. I admit I don’t know how many gates Lufthansa acquired when competitors went out of business or were acquired by them, how many have been theirs since each terminal opened. Since in the past they were smaller, it is obvious that gates are something that can be acquired. Maybe not on the ideal schedule, but such is life.
Brussels Airport has plenty of expansion planned. Airports get bigger over time, not smaller.
The real story is “Lufhansa plans to waste massive carbon to prevent competition.” They’re not the innocent bystander here.