After halting services and shifting certain flights to London Heathrow due to the pandemic, British Airways has resumed international short-haul flights from London Gatwick Airport (LGW) (LHR).
Short-haul BA flights will resume on March 29, 2022, just one day after LGW opens its South Terminal in response to increased travel demand.
At 0625 local time, BA’s first international short-haul flight from LGW departed for Larnaca (LCA), Cyprus (0525 UTC). Flights will be operated under the British Airways AOC at first, but the airline aims to transition the operations to a new company called BA Euroflyer later this year.
As the COVID-19 virus spread over the world, grounding aviation travel, British Airways canceled short-haul flights from LGW in spring 2020. It then began discussions with pilot representatives about forming a new subsidiary to save money on operations.
Tenerife, Palma, Marrakech, Amsterdam, Berlin, and Faro are among the European tourist destinations and cities served by British Airways from Gatwick.
The new subsidiary of British Airways will provide the same level of service as regular BA flights, including baggage allowance, free water and snacks, and lounge access for frequent travelers, according to the company. In contrast to low-cost competitors, Euroflyer will offer a business class cabin.
“Today marks a significant milestone for British Airways as we operate our first European services from Gatwick in two years,” commented Tom Stoddart, acting chief executive of British Airways Euroflyer.
“I am looking forward in anticipation to see our newest subsidiary grow, adding new routes and providing customers with more options to get away on holiday with a premium British Airways service.”
