British Airways is to resume its Manchester-Gatwick link next spring, providing a connection to Caribbean services and other long-haul routes from the southern airport.
The new service will start on 28 March and provide only one daily frequency, departing Manchester at 07.00 and Gatwick at 09.45.
The arrival into Gatwick, around 08.15, will allow connecting time for BA’s mid-morning Caribbean and transatlantic routes.
BA last linked Manchester and Gatwick seven years ago, dropping the route after 20 years, and airlines have been reluctant to offer a Manchester-Gatwick link since improvements to the London rail line brought journey times down to just over two hours.
However, BA’s rationale in restarting the service is aimed at making its long-haul flights more attractive to the north-west market.
A BA spokesperson said: “We are pleased to introduce this daily service between Manchester and London Gatwick which will allow customers easier access to our long-haul destinations from Gatwick.”
Separately, BA will move its Heathrow-Islamabad service to Gatwick on 28 March, departing six days a week at 10.30.