British Airways to Launch Service to Chile

British Airways will begin the first ever nonstop flight between the United Kingdom and Chile next year. The airline previously served Santiago between 1993 and 2000 as a “tag on” to its Buenos Aires flight.

Beginning January 3, 2017, British Airways will fly four times weekly between London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) and Santiago, Chile (SCL).

The new route will become British Airways’ longest route at 14 hours, 40 minutes. The airline’s current longest route is between London and Buenos Aires at 13 hours, 50 minutes.

British Airways will operate the newest aircraft in its fleet, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, which is in a four-class configuration and will have a new First Class cabin.

“In recent years we have been increasing our services to South and Central America reflecting the area’s continued growth in both business and tourism. This year we’ve already launched flights to Costa Rica and Peru, and the addition of Santiago will secure another important link between the UK and the region,” said Chairman and CEO of British Airways, Alex Cruz.

The airline has been increasing its presence in Latin America in recent years with new services to Lima, Peru and San Jose, Costa Rica. Additionally, British Airways serves Rio de Janiero and Sau Paulo, Brazil, as well as Buenos Aires, Argentina.

“The Chilean economy has been steadily growing, with increasing trade links to Europe so this new direct route will respond to the need for travel between the two Capital cities to do business face-to-face. Equally, Chile is of enormous appeal to leisure travelers,” said Cruz.

British Airways has an order for 21 Boeing 787-9 aircraft and currently operates five. This year, the airline expects to take delivery of 11 of the state-of-the-art aircraft.

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Tyler Tashji

Tyler has been an aviation enthusiast for as long as he can remember and is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Aviation Administration with a minor in Social Media Marketing from Lewis University in Romeoville, IL. His preferred airline is United and his favorite aircraft is the Boeing 777 and 757. Tyler has his fourth-degree black belt in Taekwondo and is unlikely to be seen without Starbucks in his hand. He is also an avid plane spotter. Tyler always has a smile on his face and his eyes pointed skyward.

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