British Airways has put tickets on sale for the initial 35 destinations of its new Gatwick network, which will start from the end of March 2022.
BA announced in August that it was creating a short-haul offshoot, will launch later in 2022.
The short-haul services at Gatwick will be operated by mainline BA until the new entity’s Air Operators Certificate is issued.
By autumn 2022 the organisation will be managed separately under the company trading name ‘BA Euroflyer’, consistent with its sister subsidiary ‘BA CityFlyer’. The brand name will remain as British Airways.
BA will initially operate three Airbus short-haul aircraft, ramping up to 18 aircraft by the end of May.
Short-haul flying from Gatwick had been suspended in spring 2020 as the pandemic took hold.
Several routes were moved to Heathrow, some of which will return to Gatwick, as well as being maintained at Heathrow to give customers choice, including Faro, Ibiza, Malaga, Marrakech and Tenerife.
Other new routes will be added at Gatwick including Athens, Berlin, Madrid, Milan Malpensa and Santorini.
Fares start from £39 each way and BA said the prices are “competitive with those of Gatwick no-frills carriers”.
Sean Doyle, BA chairman and chief executive, said: “Today is a landmark moment for British Airways. 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.”
Stewart Wingate, Gatwick chief executive, added: “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.
“We expect BA’s new and extensive network of services from Gatwick to destinations across Europe to be in high demand.”