British Airways is set to begin operating Embraer aircraft to Gibraltar as it expands its BA CityFlyer network from London City Airport. Alongside Gibraltar, the British flag carrier will also run a new Jersey service from the central London airport.

A year ago, the entire BA CityFlyer fleet was grounded as London City Airport closed its doors due to the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, now the smaller Embraer Jets are actually standing in for their parent company's operations, as is the case with the London to Frankfurt route, currently only served from London City. CityFlyer is planning quite the summer despite the current COVID-19 restrictions.

Gibraltar flights

As the British flag carrier, flying to Gibraltar is nothing new for British Airways. However, the airline will be adding twice-weekly flights to the British Overseas Territory on Monday and Friday from June 25th. The services will initially run for the summer season. According to British Airways, flights will operate to the following schedule,

  • BA 3289 - London City (LCY) 13:15 - Gibraltar (GIB) 17:10 - M - - - F - -
  • BA 3290 - Gibraltar (GIB) 17:55 - London City (LCY) 19:50 - M - - - F - -

The Embraer E190 will complete the route. While the carrier used to operate the E170, the last of these has now left the fleet, heading stateside.

Gibraltar, Airlines, British Airways
Gibraltar Airport is well known for the highway crossing over its runway. Photo: Getty Images

Jersey too

Along with the flights to Gibraltar, BA CityFlyer will also launch flights to Jersey on June 25th. Again, these will operate twice a week on Mondays and Fridays. While flights to Gibraltar will start at £43 (59.20) one way, the much shorter Jersey flight will be offered ever so slightly cheaper at just £42 (57.82) one way.

According to British Airways, the Jersey flights will operate the following schedule,

  • BA 3283 - London City (LCY) 09:45 - Jersey (JER) 10:50 - M - - - F - -
  • BA 3284 - Jersey (JER) 11:25 - London City (LCY) 12:30 - M - - - F - -

Potential passengers should note that for four weeks from August 9th, the Monday Jersey rotation will operate later in the day.

British Airways, BA CityFlyer, Gibraltar
British Airways' Embraer Aircraft have a 2-2 seating configuration. Photo: British Airways

The BA Cityflyer Embraer E190

As mentioned, CityFlyer will use the Embraer E190 for the flights to Gibraltar and Jersey. The airline currently has 22 aircraft, according to Planespotters.net. However, according to the publication, only five are now active, with some remaining parked at Norwich Airport in Norfolk.

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BA CityFlyer's E190s can seat up to 98 passengers, with aircraft able to accommodate one or two travel classes. As the aircraft has a 2-2 layout, there are no middle seats. Everybody gets an aisle or window seat.

Commenting on the launch Tom Stoddart, MD of CityFlyer, said,

"It's great to be able to launch these two new services to Gibraltar and Jersey – it’s something customers have been asking us to do for quite a while. Whether it’s for a holiday or visiting friends or relatives who live either end of route when the time is right, customers will benefit from direct flights to and from the extremely conveniently located London City Airport."

Are you excited to see the launch of these two new services from London City? Let us know what you think and why in the comments below!