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UK Aviation and Airport News. The purchase of BMI British Midland International by British Airways in April 2012 will have major implications for the East Midlands-based airline. With the merger of route networks and flight operations, administrative operations look set to be transferred to offices in Heathrow (LHR/EGLL), with perhaps 400-600 job losses at BMI’s Donington Hall HQ. Unions are working with BA to find placements for staff with companies at the nearby East Midlands airport (EMA/EGNX). Looking south to BA’s operations at Gatwick (LGW/EGKK), it is currently the only airline that has its own ground handling staff at the airport. However, BA announced recently that this operation will be scaled back and part of the operation sold to an independent ground handling company. Currently the handling agents Menzies Aviation, Servisair and Swissport all serve LGW, with Servisair also providing cargo handling at the airport (along with BA). Gatwick’s owners, Global Infrastructure Partners, have invested hugely since buying the airport three years ago. Improvements for passengers are clear to see, and airlines and passengers alike will hope that a similar scale of investment will be made in Edinburgh airport (EDI/RGPH), now that GIP has purchased the airport from BAA.