BA abandons Gatwick short-haul

After comments by Business Travel News (and other publications) British Airways (BA) has confirmed to Sky News that it has abandoned its short-haul Gatwick operations.  This leaves easyJet, Norwegian and Wizz Air a golden opportunity to expand services at the UK’s second busiest airport. BA’s sister company Vueling could use the slots?

In a statement BA said: “After many years of losing money on European flights from the airport, we were clear that coming out of the pandemic, we needed a plan to make Gatwick profitable and competitive.

“With regret, we will now suspend our short-haul operations at Gatwick, with the exception of a small number of domestic services connecting to our long-haul operation, and will pursue alternative uses for the London Gatwick short-haul slots.”

In order to make the operation a financial success a compromise was required with the pilots’ union BALPA.

BA said that the terms offered to BALPA were “the best that could be achieved in order to create a viable and sustainable operation at London Gatwick.”

BALPA’s Acting General Secretary, Martin Chalk, said: “We are disappointed that we couldn’t come to arrangements that were acceptable to our members. We stand ready to work with BA to find such arrangements that could be acceptable.”

www.ba.com

www.balpa.org

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