British Airways is widening its short-haul footprint across Europe for the 2026 holiday season, unveiling a trio of new routes that will link UK travelers to leisure destinations in France, Italy and Spain. The carrier’s regional subsidiary, BA Cityflyer, will operate the services as part of a broader network expansion designed to meet rising demand for warm-weather travel and strengthen connectivity from three key UK airports.
The additions—connecting London City Airport (LCY), London Stansted Airport (STN) and Glasgow Airport (GLA) to Toulon Saint-Tropez, Olbia, and San Sebastián—will bring BA Cityflyer’s seasonal European reach to nearly 30 cities. According to the airline, the new services are intentionally aligned with data-driven demand patterns pointing to sustained growth in premium leisure travel.
BA Cityflyer said the new flights will “add stronger connectivity for travellers seeking quick, direct access to popular warm-weather destinations during the busy summer period.” All services will feature the carrier’s Club Europe cabin, offering priority boarding, enhanced baggage allowance and upgraded onboard meals.
A Push Into High-Demand Sun Destinations
The new routes—to Toulon Saint-Tropez (TLN) in France, Olbia (OLB) in Italy’s Sardinia region, and San Sebastián (EAS) in northern Spain—represent a strategic move by the airline to broaden its geographic portfolio beyond major hubs and capture holiday traffic from a wider mix of regional travelers. BA Cityflyer said each destination was selected to “support growing leisure demand and offer more travel options across Western Europe.”
The expansion also reinforces the subsidiary’s alignment with British Airways’ broader network strategy, providing UK customers with more direct access to increasingly sought-after Mediterranean destinations.
London City–Toulon: A New Route to the Riviera
Beginning 23 May and running through 1 September 2026, BA Cityflyer will operate two weekly flights from London City to Toulon Saint-Tropez, the closest airport to the iconic Riviera town of Saint-Tropez, located just 30 miles away. The service will run on Tuesdays and Saturdays, with fares starting at £127 each way.
The route adds another southern French destination to the airline’s London City portfolio, complementing existing seasonal flights to Nice, Bergerac and Chambéry. London City Airport, well known for its short 22-minute transit time to central London and its streamlined kerb-to-gate experience, remains a key asset in BA Cityflyer’s strategy to target convenience-driven leisure travelers.
Stansted–Olbia: Meeting Growing Sardinia Demand
BA Cityflyer’s launch of a London Stansted–Olbia service further deepens its presence in Italy. The route will operate from 23 May to 27 September 2026 on Saturdays and Sundays, addressing rising demand for holidays in Sardinia—where overnight stays reached 18.9 million in 2024, a 38 percent increase year over year.
The new Stansted service builds on BA Cityflyer’s forthcoming London City–Olbia flights launching in 2025. Combined, the airline will offer up to five weekly departures from LCY and twice weekly from STN in summer 2026. Fares for the Stansted service will also start at £127 each way.
Glasgow–San Sebastián: A New Option for Scottish Travelers
For Scottish customers, BA Cityflyer will introduce flights from Glasgow to the Basque coastal city of San Sebastián. The service will run twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Saturdays, from 18 July to 8 September 2026.
San Sebastián, renowned for its culinary scene, beaches and cultural attractions, is already linked to British Airways’ network through flights from London City and Edinburgh. The addition of Glasgow expands the airline’s footprint in northern Spain, bringing the total to up to three weekly flights from LCY and two each from EDI and GLA.
A Strategic Seasonal Build-Out
With three new routes joining its summer lineup, BA Cityflyer expects strong seasonal performance across its European network. The carrier emphasized that current travel patterns point to sustained demand for short-haul leisure travel, particularly among premium passengers seeking efficient, direct services.
The airline said the new offerings “strengthen BA Cityflyer’s role within the British Airways network by broadening access to the French Riviera, Sardinia, and northern Spain from different UK regions.” The additions, it noted, reflect a strategy aimed at pairing regional convenience with high-demand destinations.
Looking Ahead
With nearly 30 European cities scheduled for summer 2026, British Airways is positioning itself to capture a larger share of the leisure travel market at a time when demand for Mediterranean holidays continues to rise. By distributing its growth across London City, Stansted and Glasgow, the airline is also signaling a renewed focus on regional accessibility—an increasingly important factor for UK travelers seeking streamlined, premium short-haul experiences.
The carrier says it will share further updates as the summer 2026 schedule approaches.
