British Airways has resumed international short-haul services from London Gatwick airport after a gap of two years due to the pandemic.
BA’s first European service from Gatwick departed to Larnaca in Cyprus on Tuesday (29 March). The carrier’s short-haul international flights from Gatwick were suspended in 2020 with some routes moved to Heathrow as passenger numbers slumped.
Flights will initially operate under BA’s AOC (Air Operators Certificate) before moving over to its new BA Euroflyer subsidiary later in the year, which has been created to run short-haul services from Gatwick.
BA Euroflyer’s schedule will see it operate 35 European destinations from Gatwick before adding more destinations later this year.
Tom Stoddart, acting CEO of BA Euroflyer, called the resumption of European flights from Gatwick a “significant milestone”.
“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,” he added.
All BA Euroflyer flights will include a Club Europe business cabin offering passengers premium check-in, lounge access, and free onboard meal and bar service.
The return of BA’s European flights from Gatwick comes one day after the airline returned to Gatwick’s South Terminal which reopened on 27 March.