BA Euroflyer has been granted an Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) and operating licence from the CAA. Passengers will see no difference in service, but Euroflyer is a lower cost operation than the mainline, which BA believes will allow it to be competitive against easyJet and Wizz Air at Gatwick.

Domestic and long-haul routes from the West Sussex airport will continue to be operated by the mainline brand.

BA launched Euroflyer in March, but resumed flights from Gatwick this summer under the main AOC.

Tom Stoddart, acting Euroflyer chief executive, said: “Receiving the AOC is a momentous day in the BA Euroflyer journey and is testament to the hard work of the brilliant teams that have worked closely with the UK Civil Aviation Authority on the AOC and operating licence applications, whilst also managing the ramp-up of a start-up airline during its first summer of operations.”

Over the next six months, 10 Airbus A320s and nine A321s will transition from BA to BA Euroflyer with one A320 already in place. Flight crew and cabin crew, who are paid less than BA mainline, will attend an operator’s conversion course to permit them to operate BA Euroflyer aircraft.

Euroflyer passengers will receive free water and snacks, free seat selection 24 hours from departure and BA frequent flyer benefits, including lounge access. Euroflyer flights will have a full Club Europe cabin service.