British Airways adjusts Mauritius timetable from London Gatwick

British Airways has adjusted the timings of its flights to Mauritius to give passengers more time in the luxury holiday destination this winter.

Return journeys from the island nation in the Indian Ocean will depart 12 hours later than at present, meaning travellers will have a bit of extra time to relax or see the sights.

The schedule change coincides with the transfer of BA's Mauritius route from London Heathrow to Gatwick airport, as part of a drive to strengthen the airline's premium leisure offering at the latter.

A new terminal extension was recently opened at Gatwick with the aim of giving travellers more control over their journey and introducing a new approach to customer service.

The extension will be home to all BA services at the airport and will allow customers to complete certain processes themselves, such as checking in, choosing seats and printing their luggage tags.

Silla Maizey, the airline's director at Gatwick, said: "We have a strong premium leisure strategy for Gatwick – we want it to be a hub for great high-end holiday destinations.

"Moving the Mauritius flight here helps us to strengthen this position as it will now sit alongside destinations such as the Maldives and the Caribbean."

BA also offers rooms at a range of hotels in Mauritius, such as the three-star Emeraude Beach Hotel on the east coast and Le Touessrok, a luxury spa resort spread across a number of offshore islands.