British Airways has revealed the initial destinations for its new low-cost budget Gatwick subsidiary, which is expected to start flying from March 2022.
The Gatwick based airline will operate in much the same way as the IAG London City Airport standalone airline which operates under the British Airways name but exists as an entirely separate entity. BA's plans took a turn for the worse when unions rejected all options, so the new Gatwick subsidiary will launch much later in 2022, with short-haul services at Gatwick being operated by mainline BA until the new entities’ Air Operators Certificate is issued. According to the plans announced this week, BA will deploy three Airbus short-haul aircraft for March and will rapidly increase fleet size to around 18 Airbus A320 and A321 planes by the end of May.
The new deal will see aircraft in BA colours operate short-haul flights from Gatwick for the first time since the spring of 2020 when the airline axed all flights during the coronavirus lockdown. The new services will initially be operated by British Airways, but by Autumn 2022 the organisation will be managed separately under the company trading name ‘BA Euroflyer’, consistent with its sister subsidiary ‘BA CityFlyer’. The brand name will remain as British Airways but staff contracts will change as well as other finacial amendments.
The airline says that Club Europe customers will also receive complimentary food and drink and whilst economy Euro Traveller customers will be able to order food from the ‘Speedbird CafĂ©', which features a selection of products from a range of British brands.
Sean Doyle, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO, said: “Today is a landmark moment for British Airways. The creation of a new British Airways short-haul organisation means Gatwick customers will benefit from access to a premium service from the UK’s flag carrier at competitive prices. We are looking forward to bringing a short-haul network back to Gatwick, with a fantastic flying team in place, to serve our customers from London’s second hub airport, which we feel sure will be a success.”
Stewart Wingate, CEO, Gatwick Airport, said: “This significant news will be very welcome for many people connected to the airport. Despite the ongoing public health situation, today’s announcement is a positive signal that consumer confidence is returning as people start thinking about making travel plans for next summer.
“Given the difficult period we have all just been through, we expect BA’s new and extensive network of services from Gatwick to destinations across Europe to be in high demand and our staff, retailers, restaurants, cafes and bars are all looking forward to welcoming BA passengers back in larger numbers from April next year.”
Gatwick short-haul routes, launching from March 2022:
Destination | Country | Start Date |
Amsterdam | Netherlands | 29 March 2022 |
Larnaca | Cyprus | 29 March 2022 |
Paphos | Cyprus | 29 March 2022 |
Seville | Spain | 29 March 2022 |
Tenerife | Spain | 29 March 2022 |
Verona | Italy | 29 March 2022 |
Arrecife (Lanzarote) | Spain | 30 March 2022 |
Faro | Portugal | 30 March 2022 |
Malta | Malta | 30 March 2022 |
Catania (Sicily) | Italy | 31 March 2022 |
Malaga | Spain | 31 March 2022 |
Marrakech | Morocco | 31 March 2022 |
Nice | France | 31 March 2022 |
Alicante | Spain | 1 April 2022 |
Antalya | Turkey | 2 April 2022 |
Las Palmas (Gran Canaria) | Spain | 2 April 2022 |
Bari | Italy | 3 April 2022 |
Dubrovnik | Croatia | 4 April 2022 |
Turin | Italy | 4 April 2022 |
Ibiza | Spain | 5 April 2022 |
Palma (Mallorca) | Spain | 7 April 2022 |
Berlin | Germany | 8 April 2022 |
Venice | Italy | 8 April 2022 |
Mahon (Menorca) | Spain | 11 April 2022 |
Madrid | Spain | 14 April 2022 |
Thessaloniki | Greece | 14 April 2022 |
Bordeaux | France | 15 April 2022 |
Milan Malpensa | Italy | 15 April 2022 |
Santorini | Greece | 15 April 2022 |
Cagliari (Sardinia) | Italy | 17 April 2022 |
Dalaman | Turkey | 23 April 2022 |
Heraklion (Crete) | Greece | 24 April 2022 |
Kos | Greece | 24 April 2022 |
Rhodes | Greece | 28 April 2022 |
Athens | Greece | 4 May 2022
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