And it is understood that if the local regulator were to decide that the move was anti-competitive it could put the whole deal at risk.
Jersey Competition Regulatory Authrority legal adviser Chuck Webb said: ‘The JCRA has full powers under the law to investigate and could impose conditions or even block the proposal where it relates to Jersey if we believed it substantially lessened competition.’ He said that the regulator was investigating because the proposal will give Flybe more than 40% of the market on some routes.
Flybe, the airline founded by the late Jersey resident Jack Walker, will become the biggest regional carrier in Europe if it gets the go-ahead from the UK regulator the Office of Fair Trading to buy part of British Airways.
