British Airways ‘balances’ US growth as competitors add slew of new routes
Columbus, Ohio. Nashville. Phoenix.
All three cities will gain new nonstop routes to European destinations next summer — including, in some cases, their first-ever transatlantic service — thanks to Air France, American Airlines, Lufthansa, United Airlines and other carriers.
British Airways, which operates more flights to the U.S. than any other European airline, is notably absent from the list.
"There's always a balance between new routes and growing in existing markets," Neil Chernoff, the chief planning and strategy officer of British Airways, said on the sidelines of the Routes World conference in Frankfurt this week.
Rather than add new routes, the Oneworld alliance carrier will increase flights from its hub at London's Heathrow Airport (LHR) to four U.S. destinations in summer 2027: Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas, St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
The increases include:
- Cincinnati: Daily service, up from five to six flights per week.
- Las Vegas: Twice-daily service, up from 13 flights per week.
- San Francisco: Three daily flights, up from two.
- St. Louis: Daily service, up from four flights per week.
British Airways added CVG in 2023 and STL in April.
The carrier must also balance its transatlantic expansion with that of fellow International Airlines Group airlines, Aer Lingus and Iberia, Chernoff said.
Iberia has not unveiled any new U.S. destinations in 2027 despite ambitious growth plans. And Aer Lingus will shrink, ending flights to LAS, Denver International Airport (DEN) and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) to trim costs.
More secondary US cities planned
British Airways is not resting on its laurels watching competitors — including Air France, Icelandair and Lufthansa — add new routes.
"We think there's still some opportunities in some secondary markets," Chernoff said.
While Chernoff declined to name any potential destinations, he said population size is an important consideration for British Airways.
Among the 40 largest U.S. metropolitan areas without British Airways flights are Columbus, Detroit, Indianapolis, Kansas City and San Antonio, U.S. Census population data shows.
Several mid-sized U.S. cities, including Charlotte and Raleigh in North Carolina, are served from LHR by British Airways' joint-venture partner, American Airlines. The two carriers, along with Iberia and Finnair — and potentially Alaska Airlines in the future — can coordinate schedules, fares and other commercial activities on transatlantic routes through their joint venture.
Chernoff said British Airways prides itself in its number of U.S. destinations — 27, the most by any European airline. Still, the carrier is keeping a close eye on its competitors. "We don't want to lose out to Icelandair or anyone else."
Waiting for more planes
According to Chernoff, British Airways prefers to launch new cities, especially secondary ones, with its smallest long-haul plane: the Boeing 787-8.
The airline flies just 12 787-8s, according to its latest fleet plan. While British Airways lacks orders for more of the smallest Dreamliner, it can redeploy the ones it has to new destinations as other markets mature and shift to larger planes, such as the 787-9 or the Boeing 777.
British Airways fits its 787-8s with 31 business class suites, 37 premium economy seats and 136 economy seats.
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