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BA starts business-only flights from City Airport
Jonathan Prynn, Consumer Affairs Editor01.02.08
British Airways is to launch its first all-business class service with flights twice a day from London City airport to New York's JFK airport.
The service will start next year and is aimed at workers in the City and Canary Wharf who currently have to make the journey to Heathrow to catch their planes.
It is also a first for London City, which has never been able to offer flights outside Europe before because of its short runway. BA is buying two A318 Airbus jets with just 32 seats, convertible into flat beds, to operate the service. Prices are expected to be "in line" with current Club Class return fares, which vary from £1,300 to around £4,600, depending on demand.
BA hopes that with a 15-minute checkin, compared with two hours, it will attract many business travellers who want to avoid "Heathrow hell."
However, the flight time to New York is nine and and a half hours - almost two hours longer than from Heathrow - because the plane will have to refuel before it sets out across the Atlantic - probably in Ireland or Scotland. This is because it cannot depart fully laden with fuel from the short runway in Docklands. However, the return flight will be non-stop and only around 15 minutes longer than the current seven hours from JFK to Heathrow.
The flights from London will be during the day, while the returns from New York will be overnight.
BA chief executive Willie Walsh said: "This niche service will fly passengers between the heart of the two largest financial centres in the world. London City is 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 on board, getting on and off the aircraft will be a smooth process."
BA expects the service also to attract wealthy leisure passengers keen to avoid Heathrow. The carrier, which today revealed a 35 per cent rise in profits, already operates 75 services a week from London to New York, 55 to JFK and 20 to Newark.
The route will be in direct competition with the generation of all-business class airlines such as eos and Silverjet. However, they operate from Stansted and Luton. A third carrier Maxjet collapsed just before Christmas.
Reader views (5)
Its a good idea!
its a quiet aircraft as well!
- A, leicester
God i bet you 3 are great to go out with!. What a bunch of miserable gits!..
BA are a fantastic airline, and i, for one can't wait for this service to start. Club World to JFK from LCY is a dream service and the sooner it takes off the better
- Gordon Simpson, Canary Wharf, London
I personally would spend the time it takes from the City to LHR or LGW rather then having to stop and refuel in Shannon or somewhere in Scotland. I think the flights out of LCY will be empty. From JFK to LCY the flights will have a good take up of passengers though. Will this be cost effective enough for BA to maintain this service?
- Stuart, Staines, UK
London City Airport hasn't been given planning permission to accommodate these flights yet. How can they be announcing a service that hasn't been given the go ahead yet? This is a complete joke.
- J., East London
Shame it is BA! I do not like them anymore - service is really starting to become bad.
- Georgie, Islington, London
