British Airways, pilots back in talks over Gatwick

British Airways (BA, London Heathrow) may reverse its decision to scrap short-haul flights from London Gatwick, following renewed “constructive” talks with the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA), which is now taking a new wage deal to British Airways pilots.

“Our short-haul operation at Gatwick was consistently unprofitable and we were clear that we could not re-start short-haul flights unless we were able to establish a competitive platform. While we have been actively pursuing alternative uses for our slots, last week BALPA asked us to resume discussions. These talks were constructive, addressed key concerns, and have secured the efficiencies required. BALPA is now taking a new proposal to its members,” the carrier said in a statement shared with ch-aviation.

As previously reported, British Airways earlier announced it had suspended short-haul international operations at Gatwick and had abandoned plans for a new British Airways-branded subsidiary operating short-haul services from the airport after BALPA refused to back the deal. The union had pulled out after the carrier refused to contractually commit to providing the same benefits to the pilots of its new subsidiary as in the mainline.

British Airways first mooted plans in August 2021 for a new subsidiary based out of Gatwick to launch in time for summer 2022. It would have allowed the IAG International Airlines Group subsidiary to restart short-haul operations out of its secondary hub at Gatwick, which has remained almost completely suspended since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

The airline continues to fly long-haul services out of Gatwick to the Caribbean, as well as to Glasgow Int’l, according to Flightradar24 ADS-B data.