British Airways has scrapped plans to create a low-cost subsidiary based at Gatwick airport after a pilots’ union failed to support the proposal, in a blow for its ambitions to challenge rivals Ryanair and easyJet as the industry emerges from the pandemic. BA said it was “disappointed” plans to turn its short-haul operations into low-cost ones at the UK’s second busiest airport had failed to gain backing from the British Airline Pilots’ Association (Balpa). “After many years of losing money on European flights from the airport, we were clear that coming out of the pandemic, we needed a plan to make Gatwick profitable and competitive,” it said. “With regret, we will now suspend our short-haul operations at Gatwick, with the exception of a small number of domestic services connecting to our long-haul operation, and will pursue alternative uses for the London Gatwick short-haul slots.” Martin Chalk, acting general secretary at Balpa, said “despite our best efforts” the union had been unable to reach an agreement with BA on “revised terms and conditions for London Gatwick (LGW) short-haul, that was acceptable to our members”. Balpa, he added, remained “open to future negotiations” with BA to address members’ concerns with the proposals “for LGW short-haul or about any other part of the business”. It comes only a month after the plans were first announced by BA in what would have been an attempt to restore passenger numbers next summer as airlines recover from the coronavirus crisis. BA operates 47 short-haul routes from Gatwick that have been on hold since spring 2020 due to Covid-19, according to Cirium.<br/>