UNITED KINGDOM: easyJet Wants Heathrow Expansion

easyJet has announced that passengers would benefit from the increased competition to legacy carriers and would enjoy fares around 30% lower on routes to the existing UK and European Destinations if the Heathrow expansion is approved by the government.

The new entrants would also be able to launch flights to the UK and European airports that are not served by Heathrow providing economic connections that are needed in a post-BREXIT world.

The new entrants would also be able to launch flights to the UK and European airports that are not served by Heathrow providing economic connections that are needed in a post-BREXIT world.

easyJet has always in the past encouraged UK airports and the local, regional and national governments within it to make compelling cases for their airports to be linked with Heathrow.

Over the years, there has been a decline in the UK and European flights from Heathrow. From 2000 to 2017, total passengers grew by 21% and flights across Europe as a whole grew by 91%.

During that same period, there has been up to a 40% decrease in the number of domestic flight seats, a 13% decrease in European flight seats and UK destinations served has been reduced from 14 to 8 respectively, resulting in 200,000 fewer short haul seats per week today compared to the year 2000.

From 2000 to 2017, total passengers grew by 21% and flights across Europe as a whole grew by 91%. During that same period, there has been up to a 40% decrease in the number of domestic flight seats.

A 13% decrease in European flight seats and UK destinations served has been reduced from 14 to 8 respectively, resulting in 200,000 fewer short haul seats per week today compared to the year 2000.

easyJet believes that due to the constraints in capacity, this has sectioned out the regional and domestic routes a lot more than it should have done, as they made way for the more international carriers operating out of the airport.

Their case is that the Heathrow expansion should allocate some room for the regional market boom that regional carriers such as Flybe have been waiting for for a long time, especially with easyJet having a significant few regional routes already between Gatwick.

Their case is that the Heathrow expansion should allocate some room for the regional market boom that regional carriers such as Flybe have been waiting for for a long time, especially with easyJet having a significant few regional routes already between Gatwick.

easyJet supported the Airports Commission’s clear and unanimous recommendation and agrees that expansion at Heathrow will provide the greatest passenger and economic benefits, including lower fares by opening up the airport to increased competition.

Expansion at Heathrow will bring significant benefits to all parts of the UK and is in the best interests of all passengers – both business and leisure, long and short haul.

This expansion would enable low-cost airlines like easyJet to operate from Heathrow in addition to existing London bases, allowing them to provide new routes and increased competition on dozens more UK and European routes.

easyJet’s costs are significantly lower than legacy airlines so easyJet’s fares on these services would be lower than those paid by passengers today.

We look forward to engaging with the UK’s regional airports and their Governments and other local organisations to work out which regions will enjoy the largest growth in passenger demand and economic benefits from new connections to Heathrow and the rest of the world.

Expansion at Heathrow must be delivered sustainably.

Local noise and environmental impacts need to be addressed and easyJet supports the Commission’s recommendations on these issues. easyJet will bring our long-term environmental strategy, a key element of which is the next generation Airbus A320 neo aircraft.

These aircraft produce 15% fewer carbon emissions and are 50% quieter than current generation aircraft.

We are taking delivery of 130 of these aircraft and all will be flying with easyJet before the new runway opens at Heathrow.

Expansion at Heathrow will bring significant economic benefits to all of the UK and that’s why we urge MPs to support the Government’s National Planning Statement so that work can start to increase the aviation capacity for the UK.

As easyJet is talking very pro-Heathrow, there is probably a low level of doubt that there are deals being planned as the expansion progresses.

It could be the case that we may see the carrier operating out of LHR over the next few years. We have had other regional carriers such as Flybe recently launch their presence out of Heathrow, meaning that it definitely is all to play for.

easyJet could ultimately launch more significant European services from Heathrow as well, offering great capacity levels with their A321neos that they have on the way, on top of the A320neos that they are receiving already.

If they are to operate out of Heathrow, it could shake the battle between Low-Cost Carriers and more legacy carriers.

easyJet’s quest for Heathrow doesn’t seem to be to thrive, but more to fill the gap in routes that we have seen a reduction in from the likes of Heathrow.

With an already well covered regional network to destinations such as Bristol, Cardiff, Aberdeen and beyond, they will ultimately be wanting to centralize their operations from Heathrow rather than boost their takings.

And with having such an experience, there is evidently a significant level of confidence that it can come to fruition.

The emergence of easyJet can be dangerous to the market that the airport serves. Currently, it more caters to legacy carriers such as BA, Air France, and KLM to name a few.

For the European carriers, there is the great danger that competition intensity would ultimately make Heathrow more of a loss leader rather than a cash cow.

For the international carriers, it may not make much of a difference as they will be flying further than easyJet is intending to reach at this present time.

With the European LCC market already being intense as it is with the collapse of carriers and more, it will be interesting to see what effect this will have on BA’s domestic network in particular, especially as its hub is Heathrow.

And this sheer interest of Low-Cost operations out of LHR could itself bring even more competition with it.

This is where the international carriers could be more affected. With the likes of Ryanair gaining a UK AOC for the purposes of BREXIT, it could be conveyed that Ryanair may venture into the LHR market as well.

With the carrier operating out of more mainstream airports such as Amsterdam in Europe, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if Ryanair were to take on KLM on the Amsterdam flight, alongside with easyJet.

It is ultimately dangerous to other carriers across Europe and internationally because fliers may want to sacrifice certain countries of tourism for the cheaper deals, which is the way it is currently going already.

The rise of the low cost fare can, therefore, be more of a reality out of Heathrow, especially with easyJet firing the starting pistol around this movement.

It can open up a lot more positive options for the airport itself but could cause the decrease in revenues for others involved in the process, such as BA on their domestic network.

Furthermore, people in the Heathrow catchment area wouldn’t have to travel elsewhere, like to Gatwick or Stansted for such flights, which would be an additional plus.

It can be established that if easyJet was to gain the space and slots needed at LHR for low-cost operations, then it could definitely change the demographic that Heathrow aims to.

With it providing that potential increase in domestic and regional flights that the airports and surrounding areas could do with, it is only a matter of time before this process starts.

And it is not to say that this process could start whilst the expansion is being implemented. It could happen now, and even more so that Heathrow and easyJet are going on the publicity stage regarding this.

All we need to wait for now is the parliamentary approval and then we can start to see everything come together, more known as the Future of Heathrow.


Tourism Observer

BRUNEI: Royal Brunei Airlines Starts Direct Flights To Heathrow, October 28th

Royal Brunei Airlines announced yesterday that they will be launching daily non-stop flights between Brunei and London-Heathrow from October 28th this year.

This route will replace the current Brunei – Dubai – London routes, reducing travel time by three and a half hours from Brunei and 5.3 hours from Melbourne.

The introduction of RB’s non-stop flight to London-Heathrow will be a significant milestone as for the first time Brunei and England will be seamlessly connected by a direct air link, said Karam Chand, RB Chief Executive Officer.

The through flight via Dubai has served us well however with the demand for more direct routing from our guests, it becomes an important commercial imperative to provide that, he added.

According to the airline’s CEO, the flight will last approximately 14 hours.

Although the Dubai-London-Dubai route will be scrapped, the carrier will still provide the Brunei-Dubai-Brunei route so then the connectivity to Dubai still remains for fliers to use.

From October 29, this route will be in use from four times per week.

Royal Brunei’s relationship with London has been in existence since 1990 when they used to operate from London-Gatwick via Singapore and Dubai.

By May 1991, the carrier flew twice weekly to London-Heathrow, launching its daily flights to Dubai in May 2004.

This ultimately boosts connectivity to Brunei and also puts connectivity to Dubai on the side.

The non-stop flights will also be an enabler for increasing tourism from UK and Europe, the CEO added.

We have had a record 2017 for visitor arrivals and the initiatives such as the London direct, additional Seoul flights, China charter flights and to be announced new markets will play a pivotal role in getting half a million visitors to our Shores by 2021.


Tourism Observer

USA: Virgin Atlantic To Commence Las Vegas London Flights Next Year

Virgin Atlantic has announced plans to launch flights to Las Vegas (LAS) from London-Heathrow (LHR), effective on March 31, 2019.

These new flights to LAS are being transferred from London-Gatwick (LGW) to LHR’s Terminal 3, in which Virgin has a significant presence.

The LGW flight used to be operated with the airline’s Boeing 747-400 but the new LHR operation will be operated with the much newer and efficient 787-9 Dreamliner.

Even though it’s a drop in capacity, the airline will now offer more premium seats and their signature Dreamliner product.

Virgin Atlantic have made some route announcements as follows:

- Flights to Las Vegas will now operate from London Heathrow on March 31st, 2019, on the same day that LGW operations to LAS stop, signalling a transfer of flights.

The 787-9 that Virgin will be using for this route will have a three-class configuration, offering 31 Upper-Class Seats, 35 Premium seats and 192 economy seats.

The flight will depart LHR at 12:40 local time and arrive in LAS at 19:05 local time.

In addition, there will be a second daily service to Boston-Logan International Airport (BOS), which will be operated with an Airbus A330-300.

The flight will depart LHR at 20:30 local time, arriving in BOS the next morning at 08:30 local time.

Barbados will also be returning to the network, operating between December 2018 and February 2019 with the airline’s A330-300.

Aircraft in use for LHR-LAS: 787-9 Dreamliner compared to the 747-400 indicating a capacity drop.

- A second daily LHR flight to Boston is to be added also using an A330-300.

- A winter Seasonal service to Barbados will also be operated from LHR also.

From spring 2019 we’re making it even easier for customers to travel from London-Heathrow to Las Vegas and Boston by introducing new flights.

The new services have been timed to offer convenient onward connections for UK and US customers, and feature our award-winning service, a three-course meal and in-flight entertainment on every flight, said Shai Weiss, Chief Commercial Officer for Virgin Atlantic.

We’re also pleased to bring back our popular seasonal service between London-Heathrow and Barbados to offer even more choice for holidaymakers, she added.

The fact that the flights from Gatwick to Las Vegas will be terminated in March 2019 must indicate the growth at Heathrow must be stronger than at Gatwick.

For the likes of Boston, the second daily route is largely due to the rise in demand of business travelers flying to that city more frequently, as well as it being heavily advertised as a tourist destination within the UK.

The Barbados route, however, will be returning due to its overall success in the winter season, although it seems that a year-round service from Heathrow will be on the cards when the demand for the route grows overall across the entire year.


Tourism Observer

QATAR: Qatar Airways To Commence Doha To Cardiff Flights

Qatar Airways has announced that it is to launch Doha-Cardiff route on May 1st.

This is the first time that Qatar will be directly linked to Wales, and more importantly, the Welsh capital, offering passenger and cargo opportunities for those in the catchment area.

After the inaugural flight, the route will then be operated by the 787 Dreamliner that the carrier has in their fleet.

The launch of the new service to Cardiff will be a major milestone for Qatar Airways.

It makes sense that the inaugural flight that welcomes Qatar Airways to Wales is on the A350-900, as the wings of this very plane are built at the Airbus plant in Broughton, North Wales.

The new service will connect the Welsh people with more destinations globally and provide them with the opportunity to experience our unparalleled five-star service.

Qatar Airways forward to flying its new passengers on board and to connect them to Doha and points beyond.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner that will operate on this route will have 22 seats in Business Class, offering a 1-2-1 configuration followed by 232 seats in Economy which will run under a 3-3-3 configuration.

The flight schedule is as follows:

- Doha (DOH) to Cardiff (CWL) QR 321 departs 07:25 arrives 12:50 (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat)

- Cardiff (CWL) to Doha (DOH) QR 322 departs 15:55 arrives 00:45 (+1) (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat)

- Doha (DOH) to Cardiff (CWL) QR 323 departs 01:15 arrives 06:40 (Tue, Thu, Sun)

- Cardiff (CWL) to Doha (DOH) QR 324 departs 08:10 arrives 17:00 (Tue, Thu, Sun)

On top of this new route addition in May, the airline will also be operating services to London Gatwick on May 22nd.

This means that by the end of May, Qatar Airways’ UK portfolio will consist of destinations being Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Gatwick, offering an even spread across the UK to connect passengers to the State of Qatar as well as beyond.


Tourism Observer

Aeroflot Almost Doubles Flights To London

Aeroflot almost double increase the frequency of flights from Moscow to London this winter.

The number of flights will increase from current 18 to 32 flights a week. This is due to the opening of the flights to the second most important airport of London - Gatwick. Also, "Aeroflot" opens a new daily flight to the British capital's main airport - Heathrow.

Previously, the British low-cost airline “EasyJet” performed flights from Gatwick to Moscow. But in late March, the carrier closed this destination due to falling demand.

In addition, the weekly frequency of flights in winter schedule will increase to Bangkok (from 7 to 14) Lyon (from 4 to 7), Guangzhou (from 5 to 7), Hanoi (from 5 to 7), Miami (from2 to 5).

According the "Winter-2016/2017" schedule, the flights to 50 countries, including seven of the CIS countries, are planned. Own flights will be performed to 131 destination, including 46 points in Russia, 14 - in CIS.

Flying With Monarch Airlines

It’s summer holiday time across most of Europe, so we focus on what travellers can expect if they are flying on Monarch Airlines in the coming weeks.

About Monarch Airlines
Monarch Airlines recently transitioned from a charter airline service to a scheduled low cost operation for short haul leisure routes. The airline operates a fleet of A320 and A321 aircraft in an all Economy Class configuration from its main base at Luton Airport and from Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester and Gatwick.

Seats onboard a Monarch Airlines flight
The typical dimensions for Monarch Airlines cabin seats provide a seat pitch of 28 inches, and seat width of 17.5 inches.

Checking in for your Monarch Airlines flight
Traffic delays, longer than expected security queues are good reasons to make sure you get to the airport nice and early.

YES : Online check-in
Available 28 days until 6 hours prior to departure, only available for bookings made directly with Monarch. Not available if you have booked via a travel agent or tour operator, or are part of a group booking of over 15 passengers. If you check-in online you will be charged for allocated seating

YES: Airport check-in
Opens 3 hours prior to departure, and close 40 minutes prior to departure. Check in is free of charge

What baggage are you allowed on Monarch Airlines ?
Don’t get caught out with expensive baggage charges … remember that airlines apply rules for a reason!

Checked-in Luggage
20kg baggage allowance per customer.

Hand baggage
Hand baggage – 1 item of hand baggage (10kg / 56x40x25cm) OR 2 items as long as the combined weight / size dimensions do not exceed (10kg / 56x40x25cm)

Excess Baggage charges
10GBP (13.50EUR) per kilogram

Food and drinks on your Monarch Airlines flight
If you’re feeling peckish on your Monarch Airlines flight, you can buy refreshments onboard

Some example Buy-on-board prices

Muffin and hot drink : £4
Sandwich, drink and snack : £7.50
Other hot meals available through the “Manage my Booking”

Travelling with children on Monarch Airlines
These are leisure and low-cost airlines, so don’t expect free gifts or activity packs for the little ones!

Infants receive 10kg baggage allowance
Pushchairs and car seats will be carried free of charge.
Travel cots may be carried in the hold but must form part of the 10kg infants baggage allowance.

Monarch Airlines customer reviews
“Seats were fine for 3.5 hour flight, might be slightly less so on a longer flight, as Monarch have ceased long haul not a problem”
“The fixed angle of seat back is good (a compromise between fully upright and reclined) so there are no hassles with the passenger in front depriving you of your legroom”
“Ordered meal online both ways (very tasty for an aircraft meal). Sitting in Row 10 finished the meal before the drinks trolley arrived”
“Meal service was at the expected level for a budget operator”

NORWAY: Norwegian To Acquire More Boeing 787-9s

Norwegian CEO Bjorn Kjos is considering placing a follow-on order for more Boeing 787-9s in “a couple of years,” which he would use to expand its London Gatwick operation.

However, Kjos cautioned that this growth depends on Norwegian securing more slots at the south London airport, which would require a second runway to be built. Heathrow and Gatwick are both battling to secure an extra runway, a decision that rests with the UK government.

Norwegian operates nine 787s, eight of which are the smaller -8 variant. With the airline’s current order book, this will grow to a total 787 fleet of 40 aircraft over the next three years. Some of these aircraft are leased.

Speaking to ATW on the sidelines of the Aviation Club lunch in London on March 17, Kjos said Norwegian would ideally like to operate 50 787s from London Gatwick. This will require a fresh order.

“That is just Gatwick. We would like to operate at least 50 Dreamliners from Gatwick, provided we have the slots. We need another runway,” he told ATW. In a statement issued shortly after the lunch, Norwegian added it was also willing to add 100 short-haul aircraft to its Gatwick base. Norwegian is Gatwick’s third largest airline.

“This is by far the most significant and positive intervention by an airline in the expansion debate to date,” Gatwick CEO Stewart Wingate said.
When asked about whether Norwegian could acquire another airline to expand its Gatwick slot portfolio, Kjos replied: “I don’t think we can get that many slots, even if we acquire them through another airline.”

Any follow-on order would purely be for 787-9s, rather than the -8 variant. “The -9 has a lower seat cost and we only go with seat costs,” he said. However, Kjos has no plans to dispose of Norwegian’s eight -8s. “We need them [-8s] to open new routes; they are very good for new markets.”

Norwegian’s order for 100 737 MAXs will also help with its long-haul expansion, as it plans to operate the twinjets on transatlantic services.

Kjos said Norwegian has enough short-haul aircraft in its order pipeline, so there is no immediate need for a follow-on narrowbody order. The short-haul aircraft it has already committed to will be used for long-haul feed. “We need between 50 and 100 more short-haul aircraft in operation, just to take transfer passengers,” he said.

From Gatwick, Norwegian operates long-haul services to Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles and New York, with plans to add Boston and Oakland (San Francisco) this year.

UNITED KINGDOM: Gatwick To Introduce Second Runway

For decades, London’s Gatwick Airport, situated some 28 miles south of the UK’s capital, has played second fiddle to Heathrow.

Traditionally, the image of Gatwick was as a ‘bucket-and-spade’ airport, a jumping-off point for families heading abroad on summer holidays. Heathrow, by contrast, just 15 miles west of central London, was the business executive’s departure and arrival point of choice.
Even today, several scheduled long-haul carriers only use Gatwick because runway-constrained Heathrow simply does not have the available slots to accommodate them.

Gatwick has done much to improve its standards in recent years, notably since it was bought in 2009 from BAA – formerly the owner of London Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted – by a group of international investment funds, of which the largest is US-based Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP).

The new owners have pumped in £1.2 billion ($1.6 billion) of investment since taking over, with another £1 billion planned for the next five years. Now, it makes much of the fact that it hosts flights to 47 of Europe’s busiest business destinations and that 20% of its passengers are travelling for work reasons.

Some 40 million passengers used Gatwick in 2015, a figure that is anticipated to keep growing. For some years, it has claimed the record for being the world’s busiest single-runway airport.

However, the significant phrase in that last sentence is ‘single-runway’. More capacity is needed and Gatwick would dearly like to have a second strip of concrete.

The airport’s current design capacity with that single runway is 45 million and Gatwick is constantly rejigging its internal layout to improve passenger flow. One recent development, for example, gave the airport the world’s largest self-service bag-drop zone. But these developments are really at the margin. A second runway – depending on the configuration chosen – could boost capacity to as much as 87 million.

Gatwick’s owners fought long and hard to convince the Davies Commission – the official body set up by the UK government in 2012 to decide on the best location for a new runway for the crowded southeast of England – of its merits but that body last summer came down decisively in favor of a third runway at Heathrow, saying it would bring the greatest benefits for UK Inc.

However, with the UK government yet again dithering over making a decision, and having called for another environmental study into the subject – despite the Davies Commission having taken that into account in its deliberations – Gatwick is continuing to push its case.
It argues that it will be impossible for Heathrow to have a third runway without breaching European Union pollution standards and notes that, unlike Heathrow, it already has enough land in which it can create a new runway without demolishing a nearby village. (Although, in the densely-packed southeast of England, even the less-traumatic Gatwick option would mean diverting a major road and a river.)

And, in an obvious ‘sweetener’ to government, Gatwick says it will take care of the environmental costs itself, whereas at Heathrow the multi-billion pound environmental bill would be borne by the taxpayers.

There is another reason why Gatwick feels this is its moment. A 40-year pact with the county council in whose territory it lies not to push for a second runway runs out in 2019.

Given this opportunity, plus the length of time required for any major airport project to wend its way through the UK’s labyrinthine planning procedures, Gatwick has just launched an exercise to appoint framework consultants to assist in the future development of the airport. That includes a possible new runway, 1km south of the existing one.

Ryanair, Europe’s largest and most successful low-cost carrier (LCC) and a rapidly-growing player at Gatwick, would certainly like to see a new runway there. In mid-February, Ryanair’s rumbustious CEO Michael O’Leary said that he would favor a second runway at both Gatwick and Ryanair’s stronghold of London Stansted, an LCC-heavy airport northeast of London, as well as a third strip at Heathrow.

That way, he said, the three airports could compete with each other and let the market decide which it favored.

However, most Brits interested in the country’s future economic health and weary of the interminable vacillation of successive governments, just want someone to take a decision and start building a new runway. Somewhere. Anywhere. But soon.

Air Transat Will Launch New Flights For UK Travellers

Air Transat will launch several new services for UK travellers looking to discover more of Canada this summer.

The leisure airline will unlock more of the province of Quebec with a connecting flight from Gatwick to Quebec City via Montreal.

Services will depart every Sunday, returning on Monday from June 26th to October 23rd.

Greater choice is also being offered to Scottish passengers, with two additional weekly services to Vancouver from Glasgow.

In addition to the existing weekly direct service which operates throughout the summer on Wednesdays, customers can now fly from Glasgow to Vancouver via Toronto on Thursdays and Saturdays, returning on Wednesdays and Fridays between June 23rd and October 29th.

This is in addition to a new direct route from Glasgow to Montreal for this summer season.

Air Transat operates direct flights year-round from London Gatwick, Manchester and Glasgow to Toronto and from London Gatwick to Vancouver.

From May to October the airline also operates flights from Birmingham to Toronto, Glasgow to Vancouver and Montreal, Manchester to Vancouver and Calgary, and London Gatwick to Calgary, Montreal and Quebec City.

HONG KONG: Cathay Pacific To Launch Gatwick To Hong Kong Flights

Cathay Pacific have announced that starting from 2nd September 2016 they will operate a four-times weekly service from Gatwick.

The service set to operate out of Gatwick's South terminal, will complement Cathay's five-times daily service from London Heathrow for a total of 39 flights weekly between the two cities.

Cathay Pacific’s general manager Europe, Neil Glenn said: “Cathay Pacific has been flying between London and Hong Kong for 35 years and our commitment to the UK market remains strong.

“We are delighted to launch a non-stop service from Gatwick to Hong Kong, using our new state-of-the-art A350 aircraft, which will help meet increasing demand for both business and leisure travel between the Asia Pacific region and the UK.”

He also added: “These additional flights between London and Hong Kong will provide our passengers with greater choice and flexibility and, at the same time, continue to boost Hong Kong’s standing as an international aviation hub.”

The new non-stop service between Gatwick and Hong Kong is subject to government approval.

COSTA RICA: British Airways Launching Flights to Costa Rica

British Airways is adding flights to Costa Rica.

The carrier announced plans to launch nonstop flights between London Gatwick and San Jose, Costa Rica beginning May 4, 2016.

The flights will initially operate twice a week (Wednesday and Saturday), rising to three times a week in the winter (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday).

British Airways will be operating the flights on Boeing 777 aircraft.

“With everything from its incredible wildlife, rugged rainforests and volcanic peaks, as well as stunning beaches and – of course – world-famous coffee – Costa Rica offers an incredible array of places to visit and experience,” said Colm Lacy, British Airways’ head of commercial Gatwick. “Adding Costa Rica to our wide range of flights from Gatwick boosts our network and gives customers an even greater choice of diverse destinations. We’re very excited to have the opportunity to fly nonstop between London and San Jose and we’re sure this route will prove very popular with those looking for a holiday that’s definitely out of the ordinary.”

In a statement, Costa Rica Tourism Minister Mauricio Ventura said the new service “demonstrates the success of our strategy to attract premium airlines to our country.”

Costa Rica has seen a 12.9 percent increase in tourists from the UK in the last year, averaging two weeks per visit, he said.

UNITED KINGDOM: British Airways Adds Seasonal Glasgow – Salzburg Flights

British Airways (London) will add weekly winter ski seasonal Airbus A319 service from Glasgow to Salzburg starting on December 12 per Airline Route.

BA is also adding Airbus A319 service from London (Gatwick) to Valencia starting on November 6 and to Porto on February 11, 2016.

In other news, British Airways on May 4, 2016 will resume the London (Gatwick) – Lima route with Boeing 777-200 ER aircraft. The restored route will operate three days a week.