British Airways launched a service from London City to Ibiza in May 2010 and the response they received was amazing. So much so that in 2012 there will be increased flights on the service, which operates longer than most other airlines, flying from late March until the end of October. BA will operate five flights a week throughout the summer with that service increasing to nine or ten flights during the peak months of July until September. As well as London City which starts in late March, Gatwick will also be available from May 26 and October 27.
Luke Hayhoe, general manager commercial BA CityFlyer said: “We are looking forward to another year of expanded operations to Ibiza. Our customers like our schedule, which is focused around short breaks and weekends and love the simplicity of being able to fly from London City airport with its short check in time of just 20 minutes. We have many regular customers who fly on the London City route numerous times each summer.’’
‘’We are also considering operating flights between Ibiza and London City throughout the winter season to fill the gap following Ryanair’s decision to cancel services to Stansted.’’
“There are some competitive all inclusive fares between Ibiza and London City especially early and late in the season, which include a generous free 23kg luggage allowance, free on-line check-in and seat selection 24 hours before departure and complimentary food and drink on board.”
Essentialibiza caught up with Luke Hayhoe for an exclusive chat about the increase in flights and the possibility of adding witer flights to the BA schedule for the island…
When will the BA flights resume to Ibiza for 2012?
25th March to London City and 27th May for Gatwick.
BA are operating more flights from London City to Ibiza this year, what is the thinking behind that?
The flights from London City were first started in May 2010 and proved very popular, so we added more flights in 2011 which again saw very good demand and we therefore decided to add more flights for 2012. The market in and around central London enjoy the ease of access to the Island from London City with short journeys to the airports, flexible check in options and speed through the airport.
How much has the swing toward long weekends on the island increased your passenger traffic?
The schedules from London City Airport have been designed for short breaks right from the first year, most popular journeys are Friday morning until Monday evening. This kind of schedule works well for the working population of London, but still of course gives access to longer stays too.
Could BA introduce Ibiza flights from more UK airports?
BA only fly scheduled services from London to Ibiza and are unlikely to fly elsewhere, although we do operate a number of charter flights for UK Tour Operators from other UK airports.
What advantages do BA offer over the budget airlines that frequent the island?
BA have all inclusive fares, so once the ticket is purchased there is nothing else to pay, it includes 1 piece of checked luggage, free check in online or at the airport and free snacks and drinks on board the aircraft. BA also offer Club Europe on the flights to Ibiza for those customers that enjoy the extra benefits of travelling business class.
There is an ever growing opinion that Ibiza could sustain a longer season, is there an argument for BA flying to the island during the winter?
There is an argument yes, it is something we are looking at and hope to make a decision in the coming months. We already fly a longer season from London City than most airlines from the UK, late March until the end of October.
