Three years after launching service between Pittsburgh International Airport and London’s Heathrow Airport, British Airways is upping its investment in Pittsburgh by adding two more weekly flights between the cities starting in the spring.
The Allegheny County Airport Authority said in a news release that the added service is a “huge win for Western Pennsylvania.”
British Airways is going from four flights a week to six.
A fifth flight is scheduled to be added April 24. The sixth is coming May 14.
“As the only airline to operate a direct route between Pittsburgh and London Heathrow, these additional flights will give our customers even greater flexibility when traveling to Britain and beyond,” Neil Chernoff, British Airways’ director of network and alliances, said in the release.
Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and airport executives traveled to London to lobby the airline for more service. He said the additional flights are a vote of confidence in the strength of Pittsburgh’s international flight market.
Pittsburgh-London service currently operates on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. With the new additions, British Airways aircraft will arrive at Pittsburgh International every day of the week except Saturday.
The airport authority said the projected direct, indirect and induced economic impact of the additional flights is more than $12.3 million, according to the Boston-based research firm EBP US.
“We know what we have in this region, in terms of the people and the businesses and the culture, and how valuable these assets are,” Allegheny County Airport Authority CEO Christina Cassotis said.
The news comes as the airport is undergoing a $1.4 billion upgrade that is financed completely by the airport authority and airlines. The modernization project is scheduled to be completed by early 2025.
