BA reaches agreement with pilots over Gatwick subsidiary - reports

British Airways pilots have reportedly backed a deal with management to open a new low-cost subsidiary at Gatwick airport.

According to the Financial Times, the British Airline Pilots’ Association said on Thursday that its members have backed the proposal, two weeks after pulling a vote when it hit a disagreement over terms and conditions with the airline’s management.

The FT cited people familiar with the matter as saying that BA is considering its options for the Gatwick slots and could yet sell them or pass them to its sister airlines. If it does go ahead at Gatwick, it still has to agree terms with other unions such as cabin crew.

The subsidiary would operate as a separate entity to the main BA operation, but would retain the airline’s normal branding and service, similar to BA CityFlyer, which runs out of London’s City airport.

In a statement to the Evening Standard, BA - which is owned by International Consolidated Airlines Group - said: We will now further develop our proposal to provide a full-service short-haul subsidiary operation at Gatwick, offering competitive fares to our customers.

"We will continue discussions with our colleagues, trade unions, suppliers and other stakeholders, following this positive result, and if we can agree a way forward with all parties, we would hope to begin operations next summer.​"