British Airways, a full-service global airline, has announced plans for new, non-stop air service between London’s Heathrow Airport and the Charleston International Airport. The twice-weekly flight, slated to start in April 2019, marks the first direct trans-Atlantic flight from the state of South Carolina.
Operating on Thursdays and Sundays, outbound flights will depart from Charleston at 10:50 pm and arrive in London the next morning at 11:50 am Return flights will leave London at 5:20 pm and arrive in Charleston at 9:20 pm.
Officials estimate the economic impact generated by new job creation and activity associated with the new flights could exceed $20 million annually in tourism. From an industry recruitment perspective, South Carolina already provides excellent access to major business points all over the country. Now, with these new flights, the state will offer connectivity to Western Europe, enhancing the marketability of South Carolina as a top destination for international business.
In a unique nod to South Carolina’s local manufacturing community, British Airways will utilize a North Charleston-built Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 for the new air service.
The S.C. Department of Commerce has committed approximately $1.3 million for the air service’s first season to assist with the costs of the project.