Amsterdam, Athens, Berlin, Madrid and Bordeaux are among 35 short-haul routes confirmed for British Airways’ new Gatwick subsidiary.
Routes will be gradually introduced from the end of March 2022 and through until early May.
Tickets are now on sale for all routes, which also include Seville, Nice, Alicante, Marrakech, Malaga, and Turin.
BA suspended services from Gatwick due to Covid-19 in Spring 2020.
Its new standalone business at the airport will be similar to its operation from London City Airport, which operates under the BA name but exists as an entirely separate entity.
The subsidiary business will launch later in 2022. In the meantime, the short-haul services will be operated by mainline BA until the new entities’ Air Operators Certificate is issued.
Flights will start operating with three Airbus short-haul aircraft before ramping up to 18 aircraft by the end of May.
Tickets start from £39 each way to compete with easyJet, which also operates from Gatwick.
Sean Doyle, BA Chairman and CEO, said it was a landmark moment for the airline.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
The airline has already launched a significant recruitment campaign.
