British Airways, American Airlines and Iberia have offered to give up 4 pairs of daily takeoff and landing slots to rival carriers on specific trans-Atlantic routes. They are trying to push through their bid for antitrust immunity from the European Commission.

The Oneworld Alliance members could be made to give up 2 more pairs of slots if the competitive conditions between New York and London change, according to a statement released by British Airways. They say that they have offered to make 2 pairs of daily slots from Heathrow or Gatwick airports to Boston and 2 from the same airports to Miami and Dallas-Fort Worth. The additional two pairs of slots would be from Heathrow or Gatwick to New York.

Also in the statement, British Airways says that the slots can be leased from the current slot portfolio of the airlines and don’t have to be slots that are currently being used on the particular routes. It added that the European Commission agreed that the carriers should be financially compensated by those carriers leasing the slots.

Willie Walsh, British Airways’ chief executive, says that they have offered to lease the slots in order to get approval from the European Commission for the joint business, which will benefit their shareholders, employees and passengers. He is pleased that the regulator recognizes that they should be compensated for the slots on lease, adding that it reflects the fact that the slot market in London is active, where slots are traded for value.

The British, American and Spanish carriers have been working on a joint venture for months now. It’s finally starting to look like it will happen, following months of doubt due to the economic downturn.