British Airways is to add frequencies to its Heathrow-Pittsburgh route next year.
The carrier launched nonstop flights between London and the Steel City in 2019, although they were suspended for over two years as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The route resumed in June, and BA currently offers a four-times-weekly service, with flights on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
Pittsburgh International airport has now confirmed that this will increase to six flights per week next year, “after regional leaders led a successful overseas mission”.
A fifth weekly flight will be added from April 24, 2023, followed by a sixth weekly frequency from May 14 next year, by which point BA will operate flights every day except Saturday.
The airport said that in October Allegheny County executive Rich Fitzgerald and airport executives had led a delegation that included nearly 30 business leaders and others to London to meet with British Airways and other UK firms “to strengthen existing business connections and explore the possibilities for new relationships”.
It added that the projected direct, indirect and induced economic impact of the additional flights is $12,342,000, according to Boston-based research firm EBP US.
Commenting on the news Christina Cassotis, CEO of the Allegheny County Airport Authority, which operates Pittsburgh International airport, said:
“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. Pittsburgh is a global brand, and we need to tell that story whenever and wherever we get the chance.
That’s vital to building partnerships and increasing international air service. Thanks to our partners at British Airways for taking the time to understand and believe in this market.”
For our 2019 feature on Pittsburgh, looking at how the city has reinvented itself as a thriving tech hub, see:
