British Airways is suspending flights to and from the UK’s second biggest airport, London Gatwick, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The suspension follows a collapse in demand due to border restrictions put in place to stem the global outbreak and a ban on non essential travel. London Gatwick has also announced that it will be temporarily closing its North Terminal, with all flights now operating from the South Terminal.

British Airways will continue to operate some flights from its main hub at Heathrow. The news comes just a day after easyJet grounded its entire fleet due to travel bans and a drop off in demand due to the pandemic.

BA will continue its maintenance, towing and cleaning functions at Gatwick in order to be ready for start up when restrictions put in place during the coronavirus pandemic are lifted.

Temporary suspension of Gatwick flying schedule

A statement by BA read: “Due to the considerable restrictions and challenging market environment, like many other airlines, we will temporarily suspend our flying schedule at Gatwick. We are contacting affected customers to discuss their options.”

Gatwick’s runway will be open for scheduled flights between 2pm and 10pm from Wednesday. The closure of the North Terminal will remain in place from tomorrow for a minimum of one month.

BA flying capacity plummets by 75 per cent

British Airways’ CEO Alex Cruz had warned earlier this month that the carrier was in a “battle for survival.” Parent company IAG said flying capacity would be down 75 per cent in April and May.

With airlines suspending the majority of their flights, airports are also having to respond to the crisis by drastically reducing their activity. Last week, London City Airport closed its runway to all commercial and private flights.