British Airways has revealed destinations for its new Gatwick short-haul subsidiary and is selling seats for flights starting March 2022.
The airline announced it is creating a short-haul standalone business at Gatwick similar to its operation from London City Airport, which operates under the British Airways name but exists as a separate entity. The offshoot will launch later in 2022, with short-haul services at Gatwick being operated by mainline BA until the new entities’ Air Operators Certificate is issued.
BA short-haul flights will start operating from Gatwick at the end of March 2022.
The new subsidiary will spearhead the airline’s return to short-haul flying from London Gatwick airport, which had been suspended as a result of Covid-19 in Spring 2020.
During the pandemic, several routes were moved to Heathrow airport, some of which will return to Gatwick, as well as being maintained at Heathrow to give customers a better choice of departure airport, including Faro, Ibiza, Malaga, Marrakech and Tenerife. Other new routes will be also be added at Gatwick including Athens, Berlin, Madrid, Milan Malpensa and Santorini.
The new service’s branding will still be known as British Airways. Passengers will receive the same level of service as well as a baggage allowance, free water and snacks, free seat selection at -24 hours and frequent flyer benefits including lounge access.
Club Europe customers will also receive complimentary food and drink and Euro Traveller customers who want to order additional food can access the airline’s ‘Speedbird Café‘, which features a selection of products from a range of selected British brands.
Tickets, now on sale, start from £39* each way, designed to directly compete with Gatwick’s low-cost carriers such as easyJet who operates a substantial hub at London Gatwick.
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.”
* Tickets are each way based on a return fare. Available on Nice, Palma and Venice if booked as part of a return, travel period 7 June – 29 June.
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Destinations from March 2022
Amsterdam,Larnaca,Paphos, Seville,Tenerife,Verona, Arrecife (Lanzarote),Faro, Malta,Catania (Sicily) Malaga, Marrakech, Nice France
Destinations from April 2022
Alicante, Antalya, Las Palmas (Gran Canaria), Bari, Dubrovnik, Turin, Ibiza, Palma (Mallorca) Berlin, Venice, Mahon (Menorca), Madrid, Thessaloniki, Bordeaux, Milan Malpensa, Santorini
Cagliari (Sardinia), Dalaman,Heraklion (Crete),Kos,Rhodes,Athens
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