British Airways will launch a new double-daily service to Spain's Basque region next year.
The carrier will operate A319 and A320 aircraft between London Heathrow T1 and Bilbao from March 29.
Both aircraft will be laid-out in a two-class configuration with seats in Club Europe (business) and Euro Traveller (economy).
Spanish carrier and fellow IAG airline Vueling currently flies four-times weekly from Bilbao to Heathrow, but will move this service to Gatwick.
Stephen Humphreys, BA's head of UK&I sales and marketing, said: "Bilbao is a brilliant business city with a fantastic cultural heritage offering a superb gateway to northern Spain for our customers.
"We're extremely happy to be flying to Bilbao and offering our customers another route to Spain, which now becomes our twelfth destination to this culturally diverse country."
BA and Vueling currently codeshare on more than 180 routes, which are mainly centered on the Spanish airline's low-cost Italy operation (see news, August 12).
Graham Smith