British Airways plans new low-cost short-haul business at Gatwick

British Airways is planning to replace its short-haul operation at Gatwick airport with a new low-cost business, as passenger demand continues to suffer in the pandemic. The International Airlines Group-owned carrier said on Thursday that it was “working with our unions on proposals for a short-haul operation” at the UK’s second-busiest airport. It declined to comment further. Travel website Headforpoints.com reported on Thursday that BA had emailed staff to say that it was considering “a new operating subsidiary to run alongside our existing long-haul Gatwick operation” that would serve the airport from next summer. “This was previously a highly competitive market,” the note continued, “but for us to run a sustainable airline in the current environment, we need a competitive operating model.” It added that the proposed new business would “help us to be both agile and competitive, allowing us to build a sustainable short-haul presence at Gatwick over time”. It would not be the first time BA has attempted to set up a low-cost airline, should the mooted plans go ahead. In 1998, the company founded Go Fly, which operated flights between London Stansted and Europe before ultimately being bought out by rival easyJet four years later.<br/>