British Airways to launch budget airline

30th August 2021, by Abi Butcher

Good news for skiers: BA is launching a budge airline from Gatwick airport

British Airways is launching a budget, short-haul operation from Gatwick airport to compete directly with Ryanair and easyJet as air travel picks up after the Covid pandemic.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, British Airways had 24 planes and thousands of staff based at Gatwick — running services to many European airports used by skiers including Geneva, Zermatt, Milan and Innsbruck. But most of BA’s flights, European and long haul, are currently operating out of Heathrow, with just a handful currently flying from Gatwick. 

The low-cost subsidiary, currently nicknamed “BA Lite”, might start operating as early as March — so some flights might be available for the tail end of the 2021/22 ski season.

BA Lite is planned as an entirely separate business from British Airways, which is reported to now be renegotiating contracts with staff — many of whom have been furloughed during the pandemic.

In 1998, British Airways launched a budget airline called Go but it lasted only three years before being subsumed into easyJet.

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• british airways
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