I like Sir George Cayley's thought process on this one, but I don't think it's a quick solution. The E-Jets just aren't available. The short-haul domestic routes to LGW from my experience have always been more expensive than that of LHR to the customer. Add the fact that they have Easy on their doorstep, the LGW operation for short haul just doesn't make sense. It works well, as VS have proven, as a point to point long-haul airport. But as stated earlier in the thread, BA are now having to look at whether or not it is worth short haul fleet renewal at LGW, I would say it isn't. The money just isn't there for it to happen.
In my eyes the best move for BA is a LHR/LCY operation. Those routes such as JER which don't make too much sense to LHR but do to LGW (because these pax are mostly O/D) - it would be suited well to the BACF ops at LCY. There's clearly some sense in the thought process behind a potential closure of SH at LGW, but whether now is the time, I don't know. But I don't believe that BA have enough of a bit in BE to 'shove' short-haul ops at LGW entirely on to them.
Last edited by JSCL; 26th May 2012 at 14:35.