Pittsburgh International Airport officials and a host of local business and community leaders are headed to London — but not to introduce themselves to the new king.
Rather, the trip next month is all about making sure that the British Airways nonstop between Pittsburgh and London not only sticks around but also expands, according to its organizer. The flight resumed in June after a 27-month hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Allegheny County Airport Authority and tourism group VisitPittsburgh organized the jaunt to Great Britain to showcase the value of the flight and make the case for its expansion.
They will be joined by about 30 business and community leaders who will be paying their own way to tout the strength of the Pittsburgh market and to show that there is demand for additional service.
One goal is to “demonstrate to British Airways that this region is very serious about the London flight, and we are hoping to demonstrate that it might be time for increased frequency,” Christina Cassotis, the airport authority’s CEO, said Friday.
The focus of a trip will be a series of roundtable discussions in London on Thursday, Oct. 6 to talk about the region’s business climate and to “highlight opportunities in Pittsburgh '' to a British audience, she pointed out. The British media will be invited to the event.
“The best people to tell that story are people actually running companies here,” Ms. Cassotis said.
The line-up of local companies includes Argo AI, Aurora Tech, Carnegie Robotics, CNX, Evoqua Water, Federated Hermes, Fifth Season Robotics, Google, Michael Baker International, MSA Safety, PNC, PPG and the Pittsburgh Technology Council.
Among the others making the trek are the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Benedum Foundation, Carlow University, Carnegie Museum of Art, Duquesne University, Frank Lloyd Wright Fallingwater Museum, and the Richard King Mellon Foundation.
Ms. Cassotis said all of the business and community reps will pay for their own travel. The airport authority and VisitPittsburgh will foot the bill for their attendees. The authority’s share will come out of its budget, funded by Pittsburgh International airlines.
For those two agencies, the overall cost of the trip will be less than $200,000, with the authority contributing about $150,000, Ms. Cassotis said. Expenses beyond travel include a reception and the leasing of event space.
The London trip is a follow-up to one the authority held in London last spring centered on leisure travel, with the goal to lure more people from the United Kingdom to Pittsburgh.
It also has held events in Pittsburgh to highlight the importance of using the British Airways nonstop, not only for passenger travel but also for cargo.
“We’re doing everything we can to make sure all the bases are covered,” Ms. Cassotis said.
The British Airways nonstop between Pittsburgh and London’s Heathrow Airport is now four days a week. Ms. Cassotis would like to see that extended to seven days.
British Airways launched the service in April 2019 backed by $3 million in subsidies to be paid over two years. With the pandemic raging and travel restricted, the carrier suspended the flight on March 15, 2020.
It did not return until June 3. The upcoming London trip, she said, is not a sign that the flight is faltering. To the contrary, it is outperforming expectations, she insisted.
“The business class section is doing incredibly well,” she said.
Beyond the flight itself, Ms. Cassotis is hoping the local delegates can convince their overseas audience that the region can support additional international service and destinations beyond London.
“The purpose is to demonstrate that we have a great business and leisure market,” she said.
But she pointed out that to attract other carriers, the British Airways flight must be successful.
“We want to make sure that we show how serious we are about this flight,” she said. “It’s really to demonstrate that expanded service would work.”
With transatlantic travel down and Heathrow reeling from a summer of flight cancellations, delays and baggage woes, “Right now, it’s a good idea to go suck up,” said Michael Boyd, a Colorado-based aviation consultant.
“You have to do this stuff and be as aggressive as possible.”
While Mr. Boyd had no problem with the concept, he urged the authority to limit the number of people participating.
“You need three or four high-powered people. Trust me, the British used to own this place. They’re not impressed with a bunch of Americans coming over,” he said.
British Airways already has received half of the $3 million in subsidies it was promised in starting the London flight. The other half is being paid this year.
Mark Belko: mbelko@post-gazette.com.
First Published: September 23, 2022, 8:36 p.m.
