British Airways will begin flying to New Orleans this spring, making the Crescent City the carrier’s 23rd destination in the United States.
As USA Today reports, service to British Airways’ hub at London’s Heathrow Airport will begin March 27. The airline will offer four flights a week on its 214-seat Boeing 787-8 “Dreamliner” aircraft.
British Airways says New Orleans customers will be able to connect via Heathrow to 130 other cities “throughout Europe and beyond.”
“We are delighted to be adding New Orleans to the British Airways global network,” Simon Brooks, senior vice president of sales for British Airways, says in a statement.
Brooks adds that British Airways expects New Orleans to be “a big hit with British visitors,” but says the airline is hoping for corporate traffic as well.
For New Orleans, the trans-Atlantic route is a welcome addition. The current flight schedule is primarily domestic, though there are three routes to Central America and the Caribbean.
New Orleans officials lauded the arrival of the new London service.
“For years, we have pursued bringing more direct international flights to Armstrong Airport and with the addition of British Airways it’s clear our hard work is paying off,” New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu says in BA’s statement. “Nonstop flights to London open a gateway to new international markets that will create jobs and new opportunity.”
Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser says today’s announcement is “a signal to the rest of the world that New Orleans and Louisiana remain one of the world’s great destinations.”
“A direct flight to London will continue to grow our ever increasing international visitation numbers and support economic growth throughout our great state,” Nungesser says.
German leisure carrier Condor Airlines announced this summer it would add seasonal service between New Orleans and Frankfurt.
