British Airways has announced that it would be switching many short-haul flights from its second-biggest base, Gatwick Airport, to Heathrow in July.

Passengers booked on the affected flights, as well as BA flight crew employed at the Sussex hub, are being informed of the move. The airline has already warned that it may abandon Gatwick permanently, or drastically cut its operations there. For three decades, Gatwick has been the base for BA’s leisure-focused routes, including Mediterranean, Caribbean, Latin American and Indian Ocean destinations.

British Airways has a majority of the slots at Heathrow airport. For the rest of the summer season – which ends in October – it will use only a fraction of them for a much-reduced international network.

The Independent reported that it has made test bookings on a range of traditional Gatwick routes, including Alicante, Faro, Jersey and Venice, and found July departures are from Heathrow.

– Thisday.