British Airways has unveiled plans to significantly expand
service between Heathrow and Inverness, Scotland by operating two daily
return services from Monday to Friday and three return services at
weekends from summer 2019.
The increased schedule means
that, for the first time since the Heathrow to Inverness route was
reinstated in 2016, an aircraft will be parked overnight at
Inverness Airport and British Airways customers will be able to
travel between the two cities, complete a full working day, and
return home the very same day.
Inglis Lyon, Managing
Director of Highlands and Islands Airports, said, “The increased
frequency of British Airways flights to Heathrow really is a game
changer for Inverness and the highlands and islands. It opens up a
host of new connections and destinations via one of the world’s
great aviation hubs, meaning many more people can travel to and
from our region on one ticket. Local businesses will benefit from
greater connectivity with London and beyond and it opens up
opportunities for visitors to access all that the area has to
offer.”
From 31 March 2019 the
number of weekly flights the airline operates between the two
cities during the summer season will increase from 10 to 16.
The
winter flying programme between Heathrow Terminal 5 and Inverness
will see a doubling from seven to 14 return services a week, with
the airline operating a double-daily schedule every day of the
week from 27 October 2019.
Flights have also been re-timed to improve
onward connections on to British Airways’ global network of more
than 150 destinations worldwide.
Phyllis Stuart, British Airways’ Airport Manager in Inverness,
said, “We have been able to increase flights to Inverness because
the airport is exempt from Air Passenger Duty. This outdated and
unjustified tax stifles British Airways’ route development plans
and costs the UK jobs and growth. Since we reintroduced
the daily service between Inverness and Heathrow we have seen
steady growth in passenger numbers at both ends of the route and
this further expansion is testament to the support our partners at
Inverness Airport and the people and business community of the
highlands and islands have given us over the past two years. The
new schedule will bring greater economic benefits to the region
and the extra flights on Saturdays and Sundays will cater for the
number of leisure passengers travelling to the highlands and
islands during the summer months.”
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