British Airways begins transatlantic service from Austin, Texas

British Airways launched its inaugural flight between Austin, Texas and London, England on Monday. This marks the first regular transatlantic nonstop service for the city of Austin. The inaugural flight into Austin Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA) will be met by Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell and British Airways EVP Americas Sean Doyle.

“For this much anticipated route, British Airways will operate one of the newest aircraft in its fleet, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner,” the airline said in a press statement. “The service will be available five days a week, increasing to daily flights in May.”

The new aircraft features three cabins: Club World (business class), World Traveller Plus (premium economy) and World Traveller (economy).

“This first time, nonstop service between ABIA and Heathrow Airport is sure to take our cities to new levels for both business and vacation travelers," said Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell.

The new route marks British Airways' third destination in Texas, with the airline also serving Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth. Travelers will fly into the modern Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport.

British Airways is one of the world's leading global premium airlines and the largest international carrier in the United Kingdom. The carrier has its home base at London Heathrow and flies to more than 70 different countries. In 2012 the airline carried more than 37 million customers. The airline currently has a fleet of more than 270 aircraft.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport served a record 9.4 million passengers in 2012 and traffic has increased six percent year-to-date. Austin's airport has nonstop service to 41 destinations and is home to 13 airline carriers. The airport generates a $2.4 billion economic impact to the Austin area annually.

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