Flights will operate to the popular Florida cruise port three days a week and will compete with budget rival Norwegian Air’s flights to the destination.
The Boeing 777 will offer a three-class service. BA2169 will depart Gatwick at 09:25 and arrive at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport at 13:45, while BA2168 will leave Fort Lauderdale at 17:00, arriving into Gatwick at 06:30 the next day.
Fort Lauderdale is very close to Miami, another BA destination, but its importance as a cruise departure point is growing, with Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas, the world’s biggest cruise ship, sailing from there.
BA will start flights on July 6.Colm Lacy, British Airways’ head of commercial for Gatwick, said: “We are excited to be adding Fort Lauderdale to our network. As a city that boasts beautiful beaches, an international yachting scene and easy access to onward cruises, we believe British tourists will flock to experience everything it has to offer. We also believe the close proximity to Miami will give businesses and holidaymakers more choice and flexibility over their travel schedules.”
The announcement comes days after BA revealed a new Heathrow-New Orleans service from March 27 2017, with four flights a week.
