BA plots new flight path for CitiExpress

British Airways is to unveil a revamp of its loss-making regional operation CityExpress today, to enable it to compete head-on with no-frills carriers.

The overhaul will involve a change of name, a move to single-class cabins and one-way fares starting at £25. But it will not result in any further route closures or job losses among the 2,000-strong staff.

CityExpress operates from 14 regional UK airports including Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh using a fleet of 50 110-seat aircraft and has been losing about £30m a year.

Willie Walsh, BA's chief executive, said in November that this level of loss could not be tolerated, adding that action would be taken to address the problem early in the new year.

BA has already trimmed the CityExpress operation, cutting routes last March and October and ceasing operations from Belfast, Plymouth, Leeds-Bradford and Cardiff.