VIRGIN EXPRESS has decided not to take up its Paris Orly 5,800 slot allocation awarded to it recently, resulting in an emphatic plea by easyJet to Loyola de Palacio, the European Transport Commissioner, demanding urgent action to address what it calls ”the chronic lack of airline competition in France”. easyJet has always argued that the slots freed-up by the failure of Air Lib should be allocated to airlines that are capable of providing a sustainable and significant degree of competition to Air France. In Summer 2001 Air France held 44% of the slots at Paris Orly Airport, with Air Lib holding 30%. Following the recent slot allocation, Air France”s share has increased to 52%. The second-largest holder of slots at Orly is now Iberia, with a mere 6%. COHOR, the French allocation agency, awarded easyJet 7,300 slots out of the 20,000 it applied for. (also see ABTN 5 May). http://www.easyjet.com