BRITISH Airways's new low-cost airline passed Go yesterday, but the take-off was monopolised by the carrier's chief rival.
As Go took to the skies in the cut throat air war, Stelios Haji-Ioannou, chairman of no-frills easyJet, ''collected the #200'' by stealing the limelight as he boarded the first Go flight from Stansted Airport to Rome, accompanied by six of his staff dressed in the airline's distinctive orange uniforms.
The uniforms made a stark contrast with the purple and green of Go. Whether they were purple with rage or green with envy at Mr Haji-Ioannou's chutzpah went unrecorded.
However, Go chief executive Barbara Cassani, who was among the 147 passengers, declared: ''This is an exciting day for travellers throughout Europe.''
Mr Haji-Ioannou, whose airline is embroiled in a legal battle with BA over the start-up of Go, was less enthusiastic.
Before boarding at Stansted, he said: ''Go has been given permission by BA to lose #29m and then close in three years, having put its rivals out of business.''
But Mrs Cassani denied Go was set up to drive other no-frills rivals from the field, and said: ''Passengers now have the choice of an airline which offers exceptional prices every day of the year, and no compromise on quality.''
Go sales and marketing director David Magliano said: ''The low-cost market is set to quadruple in the next five years and there is huge potential for growth.''
Passengers paid #100 return for their tickets to Rome. Go begins services from Stansted to Milan today, and from Stansted to Copenhagen on June 5, and hopes to be flying to six destinations by the end of its first year.
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