British Airways is set to operate a new unit offering European flights from London Gatwick airport in March following a deal with cabin crew. The breakthrough in talks with flight attendants comes after an earlier deal with pilots and leaves only terms with ground staff to be settled, Luis Gallego, CEO of BA parent IAG, said Monday. “If we can close all of that we will start flying from Gatwick in March 2022,” Gallego said. “The most important thing is to have the efficiency that is required to be profitable.” British Airways and its Gatwick unions reached a compromise on new employment contracts after the carrier said it would scrap European operations there and focus on its Heathrow hub if expenses weren’t slashed. The airline contends that a new unit is the only way forward at the airport south of the UK capital after years of losing money. Gallego reiterated that the division is “not a low-cost carrier” but a more efficient platform to enable British Airways to compete in the tougher conditions expected to prevail as travel emerges from the coronavirus crisis.<br/>
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Relatives of the 298 people who died when a Malaysia Airlines jet was shot down over Ukraine in 2014 on Monday asked judges presiding over the Dutch murder trial looking at the crash to provide clarity over the alleged role of Russia in the incident. Piet Ploeg, whose brother, sister-in-law and nephew died in the crash, told judges to look specifically at Russia's role in the Ukraine conflict. "We want to know what happened, why it happened and who was responsible: from the person who pushed the launch button to the highest-ranking person responsible, maybe in the Kremlin," Ploeg said. Flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was hit by what international investigators and prosecutors say was a Russian surface-to-air missile likely fired by pro-Russian militias Ploeg criticised the lack of Russian cooperation in the MH17 probe and the eventual trial as well as "years of misinformation, alternative theories, denials and untruths". Russia denies any involvement with the crash. The suspects, three Russians and a Ukrainian national, remain at large but one of them has sent lawyers to represent him. Dutch media reported last month that lawyers representing the families of MH17 victims had been offered protective measures after being subjected to intimidation.<br/>