BA to launch all-business transatlantic service on Sept. 29.

British Airways will press ahead with the launch of its new business class-only service between London City and New York JFK, setting Sept. 29 as the date of the first flight. There will be a daily return service except Saturdays when LCY is closed, and flights will increase to twice-daily from mid-October. Tickets go on sale today. "In the harshest trading environment airlines have experienced, we believe it is more important than ever to embrace the future and innovate. That is what this historic new route is all about," CEO Willie Walsh said. He confirmed BA will designate the outbound and return flights with the BA001 and BA002 numbers previously used for its transatlantic Concorde services. It will operate A318s fitted with 32 lie-flat seats on the route (ATWOnline, June 3). Weekend lead-in leisure fare starts from £1,901.10 ($3,135) return, BA said, while the lead-in business fare starts at £4,912.10 and the fully-flexible business fare at £5,625.10.