The UK Office of Fair Trading has issued a statement about the proposed acquisition of bmi by the BA/IB IAG Group.

The OFT today announced that it has decided not to make a request to the European Commission for a UK review of the proposed acquisition by International Airline Group (IAG) of bmi from Lufthansa.

The OFT will continue to work closely with the European Commission as it assesses whether the proposed transaction raises competition concerns for airline passengers including those travelling to/from airports in Scotland and the North West of England to London Heathrow as well as the overall competitive position at London Heathrow. 

The matter goes to Europe now for a review but this is a significant hurdle passed for the merger.