New British Airways subsidiary to serve Malta via Gatwick from March

UK flag carrier British Airways has unveiled 35 destinations that will be served by its new London Gatwick short haul subsidiary, and Malta has made the cut.

The service will operate eight times weekly at its peak.

This marks the resumption of another all important air connection through Malta, after the route was suspended at the start of the pandemic.

The new services will initially be operated by British Airways but, by Autumn 2022, will be managed separately under the company trading name BA Euroflyer.

Gatwick is the second largest London airport, after Heathrow, having served 46 million passengers in 2019. A number of airlines already serve Malta from the hub, including Air Malta, easyJet, and Wizz Air.

The new subsidiary airline will begin operations with three aircraft initially, ramping up to 18 aircraft by the end of May, and will aim to offer low enough fairs to compete with low-frills airlines operating from the airline, but would come with the British Airways' usual luggage allowances and basic snacks.

Sean Doyle, British Airways’ chairman and CEO, said: “Today is a landmark moment for British Airways. The creation of a new British Airways short-haul organisation means Gatwick customers will benefit from access to a premium service from the UK’s flag carrier at competitive prices.

"We are looking forward to bringing a short-haul network back to Gatwick, with a fantastic flying team in place, to serve our customers from London’s second hub airport, which we feel sure will be a success.”