Ghana: BA clarifies Heathrow to Gatwick switch date

British Airways (BA) has clarified its Heathrow to Gatwick airport switch decision for the London-Accra- London flights.

Sources close to the issue told AviationGhana that: "We are still in consultation with the Government (Ministry of Transport) and the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority. So as it is, what you see in the system still holds. No decision or changes has been made yet.”

In BA’s online booking system, passengers travelling on the London-Accra-London route will continue to use Heathrow airport as either a destination airport or as an originating airport until October 28.

A check on the online booking system shows that from October 31, Ghanaian passengers will now land at Gatwick instead of Heathrow.

Ghanaians leaving London will also have to originate their trip from Gatwick.

Based on this, if government is not able to get the airline to reconsider its decision, the switch from Heathrow to Gatwick will go ahead effective October 31, 2021.

Background

British Airways in January announced that effective March 28, 2021, its London-Accra-London flights will operate out of Gatwick Airport instead of Heathrow.

The Aviation Ministry, which was not notified of the decision, then called for a meeting with the airline to discuss the issue and to make clear their decision to object to such a change coming on the back of what the Ministry described as similar unilateral decisions taken by the airline in the past which were unfavourable to Ghanaian passengers.

The Ministry of Aviation in a press release issued on Tuesday, Jan 19, 2021, said: “The Ministry in a letter to the BA Authorities rejected the changes and categorically informed British Airways that ‘for the avoidance of doubt, we are unable to accept the change in the London-Accra-London flights originating from Gatwick Airport.’”

Ghana’s Aviation Ministry on January 20, 2021, received a letter from BA dated January 14 seeking to explain the rationale behind the business decision.

However, the Ministry of Aviation rejected the explanation and demanded BA reverses the decision. BA then temporarily suspended the switch from Heathrow to Gatwick in March.

BA later sent out a circular that indicated that the switch will happen in October.