BA scraps OpenSkies route to Washington
British Airways' OpenSkies business-class subsidiary is to end flights between Paris-Orly and Washington DC-Dulles airports at the end of October, just 18 months after the route was launched. BA said it would halt the five-times-a-week service, leaving the transatlantic operator with just one route, between Paris and New Jersey's Newark airport.
The British flag carrier was forced to close the route by the weak economy and rising fuel prices. Furthermore, the presence of a giant Airbus A380 aircraft being operated on the route by Air France provided stiff competition.
Separately, BA said it was cutting short-haul fares from Gatwick by up to a 20 per cent as the carrier looks to attract cash-strapped consumers with reduced prices on a large number of flights.
The discounting package will see BA introducing a new £39 one-way fare on 12 of its domestic and European destinations from Gatwick.
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