BA plans all business class flights to New York
01.02.08
British Airways has announced today that it will launch all-business class flights between London City Airport and New York next year. The new flights will be operated using an Airbus A318 aircraft with 32 seats and the airline will initially offer a double daily frequency.
The move will pitch BA in direct competition with all-business class carriers Silverjet from Luton and Eos from Stansted, as well as the business class offerings of traditional airlines from Heathrow and Gatwick. The date of the first flight has not been disclosed, nor the price of tickets, or which New York airport the flights will operate to (BA fly from Heathrow to both JFK and Newark).
BA is ordering two A318s to operate the service, the smallest aircraft made by Airbus, which was certified last year to use the restricted short runway at London City. The flights will be the first long-haul service to have ever been operated from airport.
Willie Walsh, BA's chief executive officer, said: 'This niche service will fly passengers between the heart of the two largest financial centres in the world. London City Airport is located minutes away from some of our key corporate customers and is in one of the fastest growing areas of the capital.'
'We will offer a 15 minute check-in for customers in both London and New York. London City's size means that it is a quick and easy airport to use and, with a maximum of 32 passengers, getting on and off the aircraft will be a smooth process. Once onboard, passengers will experience all the benefits of our business class cabin including a fully flat bed.'
'The London - New York route is a key market for us and these flights will be in addition to our current Heathrow schedule. As well as the business market, we are confident that there will also be a demand from premium leisure customers for this service.'
'The A318 is the perfect aircraft for these flights. It is capable of operating at London City and is large enough for us to provide the number of business class seats required to make this a viable operation.'
The new flights will be operated by BA’s mainline pilots rather than its CityFlyer subsidiary, which operates a fleet of regional jets from London City on the BA short-haul domestic and European network.
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