Airline Updates - Flying to and From the UK

While mergers and new hubs are constantly changing how people get to Europe, there can be little doubt that the frequency of flights has increased and that it is easier than ever to fly to (and from) the continent to the rest of the world.

Last week, we noted that Norwegian would begin three new non-stop long haul services between Gatwick and North America next summer. The routes include direct flights to New York, Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale. It is worth noting that in the four years since its move to Gatwick from Stansted, Norwegian has increased its flights from the airport by more than a third. This past spring, the airline introduced a UK base at Gatwick and started 12 new direct European routes.

British Airways, meanwhile, recently added Malta to its daily flight map. As of the end of March next year, BA will fly from Gatwick to Malta International Airport with daily direct flights. The flights will reportedly use a combination of Boeing 737 and Airbus 319/320 planes.

And for the Europe-Asia route, Philippine Airlines is bringing back direct flights from London Heathrow to Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila. The first flight is scheduled to land on November 4. This development is significant for travel to and from the islands, as the airline canceled its flights to Europe in 1998. The London-Manila route will be the first for Philippine Airlines in 15 years. The new flights will have departures five times per week (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday), with an expected time of 12.5 hours. The London-Manila service will reportedly use a 370-seat Boeing 777-300ER plane.