Airlines

British Airways adds five new short-haul services to its London Gatwick network

British Airways’ Gatwick-based subsidiary, BA Euroflyer, has added Montpellier, Corfu, Mykonos and Innsbruck to its short-haul route network, in addition to a new summer Salzburg service.

Montpellier, in the south of France, is a new addition to British Airways’ network, operating three times a week in the summer from 27 May 2023. The service to Mykonos bolsters the existing summer routes from London Heathrow and London City, while Corfu is in addition to the existing London Heathrow service. Innsbruck sees an addition of eight new weekly flights in the winter season, which complements the current six times weekly service from London Heathrow.

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BA Euroflyer’s summer service to Salzburg will complement the existing winter services from London Gatwick, London Heathrow and London City. The airline has also put its short-haul Gatwick winter schedule on sale today, offering 21 destinations to customers looking to book winter holidays and city breaks. Ski hotspots include Geneva and Turin, while winter sun destinations include Tenerife and Lanzarote.

Flying to nearly 40 destinations throughout the year, British Airways is the only airline based at Gatwick to offer both business and economy cabins on all short-haul flights. Customers flying from Gatwick also enjoy a generous baggage allowance, free water and snacks, free seat selection at -24 hours and frequent flyer benefits such as lounge access. Customers flying in Club Europe (business class) enjoy a premium check-in area, lounge access and a complimentary gourmet meal and bar service on board.

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Executive Club Members can enjoy all benefits of their membership across the BA Euroflyer network, including the earning of Tier Points and Avios on eligible flights, and a minimum of 12 Reward Seats on every flight, starting from as little as £1 plus 18,500 Avios.

Flights are on sale now and can be booked at www.ba.com.

Start date	Flight number	Departing LGW	Arriving at destination	Flight number	Departing destination	Arriving LGW
London Gatwick (LGW) to Montpellier (MPL): Summer 2023
27 May 2023 Three per week	BA2620	Tue: 0720 Thu: 0715 Sat: 1350	Tue: 1005 Thu: 1000 Sat: 1635	BA2621	Tue: 1210 Thu: 1205 Sat: 1735	Tue: 1255 Thu: 1250 Sat: 1820
London Gatwick (LGW) to Corfu (CFU): Summer 2023
30 May 2023 Advertisement Three per week	BA2812	Tue: 0715 Wed: 0835 Sat: 1700	Tue: 1230 Wed: 1350 Sat: 2215	BA2813	Tue: 1325 Wed: 1445 Sat: 2315	Tue: 1440 Wed: 1600 Sat: 0030
London Gatwick (LGW) to Mykonos (JMK): Summer 2023
10 June 2023 One per week	BA2814	Sat: 0820	Sat: 1420	BA2815	Sat: 1520	Sat: 1725
London Gatwick (LGW) to Salzburg (SZG): Summer 2023
28 March 2023 Advertisement Three per week	BA2618	Tue: 1115 Thu: 1640 Sat: 0930	Tue: 1410 Thu: 1935 Sat: 1225	BA2619	Tue: 1505 Thu: 2025 Sat: 1400	Tue: 1610 Thu: 2130 Sat: 1505
London Gatwick (LGW) to Innsbruck (INN): Winter 2023
08 December 2023 Eight per week	BA2620	Mon: 0710 Wed: 0945 Thu: 0840 Sat: 1235 Sun: 0840	Mon: 1015 Wed: 1255 Thu: 1150 Sat: 1545 Sun: 1150	BA2621	Mon: 1105 Wed: 1345 Thu: 1240 Sat: 1645 Sun: 1250	Mon: 1210 Wed: 1445 Thu: 1340 Sat: 1750 Sun: 1350
08 December 2023 Eight per week	BA2622	Fri: 1310 Sat: 1425 Sun: 1520	Fri: 1615 Sat: 1730 Sun: 1825	BA2623	Fri: 1705 Sat: 1830 Sun: 1925	Fri: 1810 Sat: 1930 Sun: 2025

Airlines

British Airways Unveils Two Groundbreaking Weather Apps for UK Operations

In an effort to better prepare for and lessen the impact of weather on any planned flight path, British Airways will be the first airline in the UK to launch two next-generation weather applications. These apps will give pilots and the flight planning teams access to real-time weather data.

At the moment, teams rely on manually created weather reports that are created early in the day. The new apps will enable pilots and flight planning teams to make more operationally effective decisions by allowing them to evaluate the effects of weather variations in real-time and better plan and adjust flight paths.

The first app will provide pilots of the airline with convenient access to weather information from The Weather Company, providing in-depth analysis of weather conditions along flight paths both prior to takeoff and during flight.

To further enhance its capabilities, future upgrades will make use of the onboard Wi-Fi connectivity* to provide real-time in-flight weather updates. The app that will eventually work with the new technologies available to pilots to provide them with exact information on weather changes will also be accessible to the airline’s Integrated Operations Control centre, the operational hub that keeps the airline operating smoothly.

The technology, which is being implemented ahead of the busy summer season, has been built and set to precisely meet the requirements of british airways credit cards’ wide route network, offering benefits across both short- and long-haul operations. This large investment is a component of british airways amex ‘ £7 billion transformation initiative, which is still focused on expanding the airline’s use of modern technologies throughout its operations.

The airline replaced its paper-based system for engineering teams earlier this year with the new Electronic Aircraft Maintenance (eLog) system, which enables instantaneous data transfer from the aircraft to engineers in a matter of seconds. This allows for the pre-ordering of any necessary parts, speeding up the resolution of issues.

Airlines

IndiGo beats Southwest Airlines to Become world’s largest airline by market cap

India’s aviation giant, IndiGo, has soared to new heights, surpassing the renowned US-based Southwest Airlines to claim the title of the world’s third most valuable airline, as per Bloomberg data released on Wednesday.

The surge in IndiGo’s market capitalization, fueled by a remarkable 4.73% jump in its share price to Rs 3,806, catapulted its market value to $17.605 billion, edging past Southwest’s $17.333 billion market cap.

IndiGo’s strategic plans for expansion further solidify its position in the global aviation landscape. With intentions to add 10 new destinations to its network in the fiscal year 2025, the airline anticipates a substantial increase in capacity and passenger growth, aiming for a gross addition of over one aircraft per week during the same period.

Such ambitious endeavors, coupled with a burgeoning demand for travel attributed to tourism and a stable oil price environment, have contributed to the surge in IndiGo’s stock prices. Analysts at InterGlobe Securities attribute indigo partners airlines upward trajectory to several factors, including the operational challenges faced by competitor Vistara and the burgeoning appetite for travel among Indian households.

The rise in income has elevated air travel to a lifestyle staple, with leisure holidays becoming increasingly prevalent. indigo partners As the holiday season approaches, airports across the nation are bracing for heightened activity, promising sustained momentum for IndiGo in the months ahead.

Airlines

Air India Cabin Crew Voices Fabric Issues in new uniforms

Air India’s much-anticipated cabin crew uniforms, designed by renowned fashion icon Manish Malhotra and unveiled with ceremony last December, have encountered a setback.

The airline’s cabin crew, who initially donned the stylish attire on the carrier’s A350 aircraft, have voiced grievances regarding the quality of the fabric. Reports suggest that concerns have arisen over issues such as fast-fading colors, casting a shadow over the otherwise celebrated launch of the new uniforms.

Despite the initial excitement surrounding their debut, the practicality and durability of the fabric have come under scrutiny. In response to the feedback received from its cabin crew members, Air India is poised to address the fabric-related issues promptly. Sources indicate that the airline is gearing up to commence production for all cabin crew uniforms, ensuring that the concerns raised are duly taken into account.

An Air India spokesperson in a statement to PTI, confirming the forthcoming measures, stated that the production program for over 8,000 cabin crew members will kick off within a week’s time. The spokesperson reassured that steps are being taken to rectify the fabric issues and ensure that the new uniforms meet the expected standards of quality and durability.

The new uniform will subsequently be distributed to the crew, aligned with the transition of Air India’s flagship A350 to long-haul international service in the coming months,” the spokesperson added.