British Airways said its new Gatwick short-haul operation will begin flying in March, with the U.K. carrier putting tickets to 35 destinations on sale from Tuesday.
Flights operated by the new subsidiary—BA Euroflyer—will continue to be branded British Airways, and will operate to destinations including Ibiza, Faro in Portugal, Malaga and Tenerife in Spain and Milan Malpensa in Italy. Operations will start with three Airbus SE aircraft, with plans to ramp up to 18 planes by the end of May.
BA contended that a new unit that can better compete with low-cost rivals such as EasyJet Plc and Wizz Air Holdings Plc was the only way forward at the airport south of London after years of losing money. The carrier said it had already started a “significant recruitment campaign” to hire staff for the new subsidiary.