BMI will cease flying between Heathrow and Paris Charles de Gaulle next month, blaming a boom in the number of carriers operating the route when passenger traffic is declining.
Chief executive officer Nigel Turner said the route has become uneconomic, and the opening of the high-speed rail link between London and the Channel Tunnel will make it more so.
“There are now eight airlines operating 72 flights a day between London and Paris,” said Turner. “With a 37% reduction in the overall air market in the past four years, there simply are not enough passengers.
“The route is unlikely to sustain an acceptable level of profitability, and we are determined to get best value from our Heathrow slots.”
BMI has flown Heathrow-Paris Charles de Gaulle since 1990, operating up to eight services a day.
Flights will terminate on February 25, with 14 BMI staff in Paris involved in consultation on redundancy.
BMI Regional services between Leeds Bradford and Paris Charles de Gaulle will also cease the following month, on March 25. However, BMIbaby flights between East Midlands Airport and Paris will continue.