British Airways has cancelled all flights between London Gatwick and New York, it has emerged.
Daily transatlantic trips will be scrapped on October 25 from the UK’s second busiest airport near Crawley, West Sussex to the Big Apple.
Fliers to John F. Kennedy International Airport will now have to trudge to London Heathrow in west London instead.
BA says the date in October is the beginning of its winter season so tickets were never on sale.
Flights aren’t due to resume until March 2026 and a ninth daily flight will be incorporated into the Heathrow schedule.
The Daily Mail reports the move will strip out more than 3,500 passengers from Gatwick.
Now, just Delta and Norse Atlantic will operate from there and the reduced number of carriers is expected to have a huge knock-on effect for holidaymakers in south London, Sussex and Kent.
Fares at Gatwick are likely to be pushed up, especially around peak periods, last-minute bookings and premium leisure dates.
Heathrow, by contrast, will stay highly competitive with BA, American Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Delta running New York shuttles.
Losing Gatwick means those south of the capital having to make their way to west London with Heathrow Express walk-up fares of £25 one-way.
For a family of four, just shifting airports could add £100 extra in transport costs before they’ve even boarded the plane, travel experts say.
Paul Gillooly, of Dot Dot Loans, said: “On the surface, BA’s move is simply about consolidating fewer routes at Gatwick, more at Heathrow.
“But for passengers, the ripple effects are financial.
“If you live in south London or along the Brighton line, losing Gatwick means longer journeys, extra ground transport costs, and fewer chances to find a bargain fare.
“The reality is that a family of four could be paying £100 more once you add in higher ticket prices and the extra expense of getting to Heathrow.”
He added: “What many travellers don’t realise is how powerful small hacks can be in this situation.
“Something as simple as looking for ‘All London’ instead of a single airport, when booking, can unlock cheaper fares that aren’t visible otherwise.
“Likewise, swapping JFK for Newark can save £150 or more on a family booking.
“The key lesson is that even when airlines take options away, there are still ways for passengers to protect their wallets, but only if they know where to look.
“As we head into the 2026 travel season, this story isn’t just about one cancelled route.
“It’s about how families adapt, how competition shapes fares, and how being a smart planner can turn what feels like a loss into a chance to save.”
A BA spokeswoman said: “We know that most of our customers prefer to fly from Heathrow when travelling to New York, which is where all nine of our daily JFK flights will depart from in Summer 2026.
“Freeing up this aircraft at Gatwick means we can increase our capacity to popular leisure destinations, so we’ve added extra flights to Bangkok and Jamaica.”
