British Airways has revealed that its premium-only service from London’s City Airport to New York is already profitable after just ten weeks. The service was launched in September, and though initially predicting simply that the route would become profitable within a year, a British Airways spokesman said it has already made it into the black “in terms of overall seat occupancy.” (It seems a bit strange to mix profitability with load factor, but given these are all seats sold at a premium rate, he can be given the benefit of the doubt.)
BA has also confirmed that it will retain full ownership of its premium-only subsidiary OpenSkies. Demand for transatlantic flights has surged in recent weeks as the financial world voices growing optimism about a resurgent global economy. Traffic in BA’s Club World business-class cabin increased 1.5% in November and premium long-haul services are generally operating with a load factor of over 70%.
