British Airways says slashes Europe fares

LONDON, Apr 20 (Reuters) British Airways is cutting fares by up to 50 percent to more than 65 European destinations with immediate effect, the company said on Thursday.

A spokeswoman for the airline said the new pricing would affect about 7 million seats a year.

''This is not a short-term gimmick, but a long-term commitment,'' British Airways Commercial Director Martin George said in a news release.

One-way fares will begin at 29 pounds (.79).

British Airways said its one-way fares within Britain and Europe have fallen by an average of 70 percent compared with a decade ago.

On Tuesday, BA raised its fuel surcharge on long-haul flights as crude oil prices shot to record highs.

The airline increased the surcharge on tickets sold in Britain to 35 pounds from 30 pounds per flight, the first time it has increased the levy since September.

It kept the surcharge on short flights at 8 pounds.

The airline expects high oil prices to boost its fuel bill this year by 600 million pounds to 2.2 billion pounds.

REUTERS CS DS1335