British Airways has included domestic routes in a ticket sale launched two days after the UK government disclosed a rescue deal for regional carrier Flybe.
The BA promotion spans flights between London and multiple UK destinations: Aberdeen, Belfast City, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle and Jersey.
All of these airports are served by Flybe, Cirium schedules data shows. The Exeter-based carrier operates direct flights to London from Aberdeen, Belfast City, Edinburgh, Exeter and Newquay.
On 14 January, UK business secretary Andrea Leadsom confirmed that an agreement had been reached with Flybe “to keep the company operating, ensuring that UK regions remain connected”.
As part of that agreement, the government could defer millions of pounds owed by Flybe to cover its air passenger duty (APD) tax bill.
Willie Walsh, chief executive of BA parent IAG, has criticised the rescue package as “a blatant misuse of public funds”. He argues that Flybe’s shareholders – which include BA rival Virgin Atlantic, itself part-owned by Delta Air Lines – “now want the taxpayer to pick up the tab for their mismanagement of the airline”.
The government’s support for Flybe also came under fire from environmental groups, which argue that tax cuts on air travel would be contradictory to efforts to reduce emissions.
In its sales promotion, British Airways stresses that it has started offsetting carbon emissions on all domestic flights.
