British Airways launches direct flight from London to Pittsburgh

Starting 2 April 2019, British Airways will service a nonstop flight from London to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

With special fares starting from GBP 600 (USD 786) return in World Traveller and GBP 1,068 in World Traveller Plus; the new flight will operate four times a week, departing from London Heathrow on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday onboard the airline’s newest aircraft, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.

Following the announcement on 25 July, a delegation from Pittsburgh’s business and community partners came together to formally mark the occasion at Pittsburgh International Airport together with British Airways’ Senior Vice President of Sales, North America, Simon Brooks.

Craig Davis, CEO of Visit Pittsburgh, said: “This is a momentous day in the visitors and tourism world. Visit Pittsburgh’s goal is to bring Pittsburgh to the world and the world to Pittsburgh, and this is the manifestation of exactly that. With so much to offer the UK traveller, including culture, river-life, sports, and an incredible food scene, Pittsburgh has earned its reputation as an innovator for business, advances in technology, medicine, and arts which makes Pittsburgh an ideal leisure destination.”

The move brings back British Airways to the city it last served with daily nonstop flights from Pittsburgh International Airport to London-Gatwick between 1985 and October 1999. The carrier cancelled the service due to economic reasons.

It was picked up by US Airways in 2000 but ended the service in 2004. Pittsburgh struggled with flight and passenger numbers causing hesitation to carriers.

This is a win for Pittsburgh after it added two new routes to Europe – WOW Air to Reykjavik and Condor Airlines to Frankfurt. These new flights will complement Delta’s seasonal service to Paris that has been operating from Pittsburgh since the late 2000s.

To help land the British Airways route, Pittsburgh is offering up to USD 1.5 million in incentives a year over two years, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.