Today, British Airways begins nonstop air service between London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) and Charleston International Airport (CHS). The inaugural flight, departing at 11:20 p.m., marks the first transatlantic commercial route from the state. In previous years, 2015 being the latest, there briefly were international flights to Toronto, Canada.

British Airways will offer the flight twice a week – on Thursdays and Sundays – now through Oct. 24, 2019. Tickets – prices vary – can be purchased here.

The details:

Up to 214 passengers (across three classes) will fly on a Boeing 787-800– like those assembled in the North Charleston campus.
The flight will take an average of 8-9 hours.
$20.2 million per year is the estimated economic impact to be generated by the new flight through additional spending, job creation, + other associated activities.
£1.4 million in community incentives (in season one alone) are supporting the route + its marketing. The package is receiving said assistance from the South Carolina Department of Commerce; the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism; Charleston County; and Explore Charleston.
Charleston International Airport will invest to expand its kitchen, customs, + tarmac operations. (While this will accommodate the new service, it is also being used as a marketing strategy to attract future long-haul destinations).

Why London? Across the tri-county area, there are ~140 companies that are headquartered in London or Europe. With Heathrow Airport being considered a jumping off point for most travelers, the partnership strengthens the connection to the 130+ destinations in Europe, Asia, and beyond that British Airways offers from LHR. In 2017 alone, ~110,000 people flew from CHS to Europe, equating to ~2,100 international travelers per week.

While the flight is currently only scheduled to occur twice weekly, the business model developed could increase to five flights per week during the summer season and four flights per week year-round – dependent on demand.

British Airways airplane | Photo by @iflychs

Yesterday,@iflychs shared an image saying “The food is prepped, the flight is staffed, the passengers are excited and we’re nearly ready to hit the runway.”

Tonight, you can catch a special Facebook Live production – which will allow you to take part in the celebration as the first flight takes off. The live stream starts at 7:30 p.m. 🇬🇧 Click here to watch – and be on the lookout for special features + interviews.

And don’t be bummed if you can’t take advantage of this wicked deal just yet. You can still experience England without even leaving the Lowcountry. Explore Charleston has created an entire English Experience itinerary – including a traditional English breakfast at Hominy Grill, sipping tea at the Charleston Tea Plantation, shopping, + more.

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