Gatwick Airport Stops Service To New York After 25 Years

www.gatwickairport.com

All the direct flights between Gatwick Airport and New York are set to end after more than 25 years of service. This comes from an announcement from British Airways that it will drop the service come October. The slot at the airport that use to serve New York will now be used to serve Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt, as well as Maldives.

This new move by British Airways marks the end of an era in which airlines were trying to make a success of the Gatwick to New York route. In the late 70’s, Gatwick Airport was used by Laker Airways for its low cost service to New York. Then in the 80’s, People Express tried its no frills airline on the same route, but it was unsuccessful. Just last year, Zoom, another low cost carrier, also failed.

Virgin Atlantic, which has run many successful flights to New York and nearby Newark for decades has also dropped the Gatwick service.

The route between London and New York is one of the most profitable routes in the aviation industry. However, due to the new Open Skies deals between the EU and Washington, many airlines, such as Continental and Delta, have now moved their New York service to Heathrow.

Right now, the Heathrow Airport slots are regarded as “gold dust” in the aviation industry. This is because, even during the recession, these slots still appeal to the lucrative business market. This has a lot to do with the better network of onward connections that are available at Heathrow than the ones that are available at Gatwick.

For more information visit: www.gatwickairport.com