British Airways opens London City - Toulon route
New service targets visitors and residents by offering quieter journey
The route expands British Airway offerings to the Riviera
Ceri Breeze / Shutterstock
British Airways has launched a new summer route between London City and Toulon‑Hyères airports, hoping to entice Riviera travellers.
The flight, under the group’s CityFlyer banner, was launched on May 23, and will run until September 1 (at least initially). Flights run on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Tickets are available through the British Airways website and start from €136 one-way, although prices vary considerably depending on dates.
It is one of three new ‘sun routes’ proposed by BA CityFlyer, alongside a flight from London Stansted to Olbia (Sardinia, Italy) and Glasgow - San Sebastian (Spain), both of which are also seasonal for this summer.
Route highlights proximity to Saint Tropez
The flight, between the airport in the heart of London and the Riviera, is aimed at offering a more relaxed and luxurious travel experience to the French coast.
Indeed, British Airways markets the destination on its website as ‘Toulon Saint Tropez’, even though the official name of the airport is Toulon-Hyères.
Saint Tropez is located around 50km from the airport, which is itself east of Toulon.
Alongside targeting Britons looking to make a quieter journey to the Riviera, the route is also being highlighted as advantageous for residents of the Var and wider Provence area who want to make the trip to London.
“This new route strengthens Toulon-Hyères' international reach and offers residents of the Var region a fast connection to the heart of London in under two hours, without any layovers,” said the airport’s management, quoted by Agence France Press.
The flight “symbolises much more than just an additional destination {and represents] an important step for Toulon-Hyères Airport, confirming its ambition to expand internationally.”
The regional airport currently serves seven destinations (including London City), making it significantly smaller than Marseille and Nice, the usual airports for those heading to the Mediterranean.
Last week, British and American passengers at Nice faced several hours of delays.
British Airways operates a number of routes to Nice and Marseille under its flagship airline, including to fellow London airports Heathrow and Gatwick.
