Vueling Airlines to Resume Flights from London Heathrow to Barcelona and Paris

Vueling Airlines is set to make a comeback at London Heathrow Airport for the IATA summer season, running from March 31 to October 26, 2024, thanks to a slot lease agreement with its IAG International Airlines Group sister carrier, British Airways. This strategic move will enable Vueling to reintroduce daily flights connecting London’s primary airport with two key European destinations: Barcelona El Prat and Paris Orly. The return to Heathrow comes after a four-year hiatus, underscoring the airline’s commitment to enhancing its network and service offerings.

The slot lease arrangement, disclosed by the UK’s Airport Coordination Limited on February 7, also entails a shift of Vueling’s flights from Terminals 3 and 5, where British Airways is based, to Terminal 4. Carolyn Prowse, Vueling’s Chief Commercial, Customer, Network, and Strategy Officer, highlighted the significance of this development, stating, “These two new routes are in addition to our existing operation from London Gatwick and position Vueling as one of the key airlines connecting these major hubs across Europe.”

Currently, Vueling operates 49 weekly flights between its largest hub, Barcelona El Prat, and London Gatwick, as indicated by the ch-aviation schedules module. The airline faces direct competition from easyJet Europe/easyJet UK on this route. Similarly, Vueling connects its second-largest hub, Paris Orly, with London Gatwick through 18 weekly flights. While the Barcelona-Heathrow route is presently served exclusively by British Airways, the Orly-Heathrow route has been without direct service until now.

Vueling plans to operate the newly reinstated routes to Barcelona and Paris using its fleet of 180-seater A320-200 aircraft. Although the airline has only secured the leased slots from British Airways for the upcoming summer season and was unsuccessful in obtaining any of its 14 weekly slot pair applications at Heathrow for Summer 2024, this development marks a significant step in Vueling’s strategy to expand its presence and connectivity between major European cities and London’s foremost airport.