British Airways celebrates 10 years of connecting Austin and London – with Pilot ‘Austin’ operating its special anniversary flight

AUSTIN, Texas: British Airways has proudly marked a decade of serving the vibrant city of Austin, Texas, with non-stop flights to London Heathrow Airport. Since its inaugural service on March 3, 2014, British Airways has flown more than 1.25m customers to and from Austin and the United Kingdom.

To commemorate this milestone, celebrations were held at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport ahead of the departure of BA190 to London Heathrow on March 3, 2024. Customers were treated to live music, giveaways, and speeches.

Neil Chernoff, Chief Planning and Strategy Officer at British Airways, expressed his gratitude for the continued support from the community, stating, “Celebrating ten years of flying between Austin and London is a testament to the strong relationship we’ve built with this incredible city and its people. Working together with the local community and institutions, combined with our joint business partnership with American Airlines, has allowed us to grow our capacity in the market by 50% since our first year of operations. This is through the deployment of one of our largest aircraft, the A350.

“We’re proud to have played a role in connecting friends, families and businesses, and as we continue rolling out the biggest investment program in our 104-year history, we look forward to serving Austin over the next decade and beyond.”

First Officer Austin, who shares a name with the vibrant Texan city he flew into on the anniversary flight, shared his enthusiasm, saying, “It’s an honour to be part of this special milestone, connecting two incredible cities. Touching down in Austin on our anniversary is a moment I’ll always remember.”

“As we celebrate a decade of partnership with British Airways, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is honored to acknowledge the enduring commitment that characterizes our journey together. Ten years ago, this first transatlantic flight helped put the Live Music Capital of the World exactly where we belong—on the world’s stage,” said Ghizlane Badawi, Interim AUS Chief Executive Officer.

“My team and I value the long-term investment British Airways has made to strengthen our global connectivity, boost our economy, increase tourism, and provide a vital link for businesses. We look forward to many more decades of continued success in connecting Austinites and Central Texans to London and beyond.”

The Lonestar State capital is renowned for celebrating local brands, so to mark the anniversary, the airline partnered with Austin’s renowned barbecue joint, Franklin Barbecue, to produce limited edition bottles of Franklin Barbecue’s Original BBQ sauce, aptly labelled BA-B-Q sauce, to gift premium customers flying from Austin to London throughout March.

Customers flying from Austin during the anniversary month will also enjoy a Texas-inspired barbecue menu on board. The menu will showcase the rich and savoury taste of Austin’s barbecue tradition, featuring options such as a lightly smoked beef brisket in Club World (business), and BBQ chicken in World Traveller (economy) – dishes that pay homage to the city’s renowned barbecue culture.

British Airways flies direct to London from 26 cities in the US, and first launched flights to Austin on March 3, 2014.

Austin is served by the airline’s newest and most sustainable aircraft type, the Airbus A350, complete with the Club Suite business class cabin. The A350 is one of the largest aircraft in the British Airways fleet – with 331 seats including 56 Club Suites (business) and 56 Premium Economy seats.
source: biztoday