Easyjet buy British Airways franchise.

Heathrow Business lounge

British Airways has further retrenched it's routes, but refusing to take up an option to buy it's franchise GB Airways. Instead, it's been taken over by no-frills airline Easyjet for just over 100 million pounds.

GB Airways currently operates services under the British Airways brand to Southern Europe and North Africa under a franchise agreement with BA. EasyJet will now acquire GB Airways' nine A320 and 6 A321 aircraft operating 39 routes - 28 from Gatwick, 6 from Manchester and five from Heathrow, although the purchase by Easyjet does not include the Heathrow take-off and landing slots.

BA says it will now start services to Faro and Malaga from Heathrow and from Gatwick to Faro, Gibraltar, Ibiza, Malaga, Palma and Tunis, many of which are classic GB Airways routes. GB Airways had four daily slots at Heathrow, but five routes as one rotation operated to Marrakesh via Casablanca.

A clear difference of opinion had emerged between BA and GB Airways. The franchise wanted passengers to pay for catering and extra legroom seats: a move that BA resisted.

The news came on a frenetic morning that also saw former British Airways franchise Loganair, depart the stable, while Bmed's exit to bmi is due to formally occur in two days time. FlyBE have already taken over most of the domestic routes, leaving BA with a small rump of international routes from Gatwick, and rather more from Heathrow.