GBAIRWAYS is adding new destinations and increased frequency to the Western Mediterranean from this summer.
Extra Gatwick services to key leisure and growing business destinations will help the British Airways franchise carrier compete with its charter rivals for a larger share of the market.
For its Spanish services from Gatwick, the carrier will be introducing a new daily flight to Alicante on March 6; services to Seville will increase to five weekly from its current four; and Palma goes to daily from five a week.
Gatwick-Malta flights rise to eight weekly from the current five.
Gatwick flights to the Portugal capital Lisbon will double to twice daily from March 13 and Faro services will go up to 10 weekly from its current nine. Summer services from Heathrow to Faro will go up one to six weekly.
Commercial director Peter Kenworthy said the aim was to make the Lisbon service as successful as its daily Porto flights to the UK, which have 40% of passengers connecting onto BA mainline flights.
GB’s five weekly Morocco flights to Casablanca will be linked to the new summer Seville service; two other Casablanca flights will be linked with Tangier; and one of the two weekly Marrakech services will provide a new Agadir flight.
Moroccan flights will no longer be linked with Gibraltar, which will have 12 weekly services.
Kenworthy said GB Airways’ improved network of flights and its two-class service appealed strongly to its tour operator partners.
“Niche operators will commit with us rather than with the large wholesale charters,” he said.