British Airways' Nashville-London flight shows Music City stepping onto global stage

Correction: An earlier version of this story did not accurately describe a special offering for flights. British Airways is offering a special through May 19 for some flights through December. Where inventory is available, flights will be as low as $855.

The inaugural British Airways nonstop flight from Nashville to London officially launches Friday, providing a more efficient path of travel to Europe that is expected to boost international tourism and business opportunities in Middle Tennessee.

With several Nashville-area companies serving clients in Europe and with site selectors often basing decisions on international flight access, the new flight will help facilitate business connections in the city and state, according to officials. More than 560 European-owned businesses operate in Tennessee, employing about 71,000 Tennesseans.

"Families, friends and business travelers can now fly in a little over eight hours into London Heathrow, and then connect to one of our 130-plus destinations across Europe, Africa and Asia," Nicolas Krohne, British Airways vice president North America central sales, said. "Europeans are very intrigued by coming over to Music City and experiencing the culture and the night life and the music."

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British Airways is not the first to attempt a direct London flight from Nashville. In 1994, American Airlines launched the same route, but canceled it just one year later when the carrier ended Nashville's hub status.

The flight

The nonstop flights between Nashville and London’s Heathrow Airport will operate five days a week. The new, 214-seat Boeing 787-7 Dreamliner will offer amenities including 35 fully flat beds for business travelers, larger windows, and air filtration that reduces jet lag, Krohne said.

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British Airways is offering a special through May 19 for some flights through December. Where inventory is available, flights will be as low as $855. The debut flight from London to Nashville lands at 5:35 p.m. and the first flight to London will depart Nashville's Gate B-11 at 8:20 p.m. The flight arrives in London at 10:30 a.m. the next day. The passengers from the U.K. will be welcomed Friday with live music and a special performance by the Fisk Jubilee Singers.

Business impact

Nashville-area companies HCA, Acadia Healthcare and Ingram Industries each have a significant presence in the U.K., and British companies employ about 2,500 people in Nashville, said Jeremy Pilmore-Bedford, the British Consul General in Atlanta. Businesses operating in both countries having to fly through Charlotte often lose the equivalent of a work day, he said.

"Not having a direct flight has been a barrier to that business development on both sides," Pilmore-Bedford said. "Having that direct flight is really important in terms of productivity and connection. It also removes a psychological barrier."

Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe will be among those on board the debut flight to London. Haslam and Rolfe will visit the United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany, Austria and Italy, with the goal of increasing foreign direct investment in Tennessee.

"This will have an incredibly positive impact on future business recruitment in the United Kingdom and Europe,” Rolfe said.

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Mayor David Briley said the flight is indicative of Nashville's growing stature in global markets.

"This direct flight to London is a clear reflection of our growth and it will bring significant economic benefit to our city," Briley said. "I am also delighted to invite our friends from across the pond to experience our music, culture, history, great food and, in the near future, a Major League Soccer match."

Travel to London is comprised of about 55 percent business travelers and 45 percent leisure travelers, with numbers varying based on the season, said Doug Kreulen, Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority CEO said.

Nashville's international leisure travel has benefited from the rising popularity of country music overseas. Country music festivals featuring Nashville artists have attracted large fan bases and Nashville musicians have topped charts in European countries in recent years. The 2016 tour of "Nashville" stars sold out in England, Scotland and Ireland. The increased visibility of Nashville's entertainment sector contributed to the record total of 14.5 million visitors in 2017.

Butch Spyridon, CEO of the Nashville Visitors & Convention Corp., said the new London flight is significant in its ability to support the local hospitality market, but also symbolically.

“British Airways flying in here sends a message," Spyridon said. "Their success will send a message to other international carriers. Our opportunity to really open up the national market hinges on the success of this, so it is huge in that regard.”

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Marketing campaigns are underway in the Southeast to consider travel to Great Britain, said Gavin Landry, executive vice president of VisitBritain in the Americas.

Officials from Nashville and London said they are confident this flight will see a different outcome than the failed American Airlines flight of the mid-1990s.

Krohne said ticket sales were going "very well" and that the debut flight is sold out.

"We are super pleased with the overall performance of the flight," he said. "We look to service the market for many years to come."

Kreulen said he expects residents from Memphis, Huntsville, Louisville, Lexington and Chattanooga to take advantage of the London flight from Nashville. Other cities, including New Orleans and Austin, have seen around $70 to $100 million in economic impact from a direct London flight, he said.

"We have the number of clients who want to travel back and forth," Kreulen said.

Former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, Haslam, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Ralph Schulz, Spyridon and several business leaders, including executives from HCA, Ryman Hospitality Partners and Vector Management, were among those pushing for a new London flight. They formed a committed in December 2016 to court both British Airways and Virgin, and the flight was announced in August.

Kings of Leon helped close the deal, performing in Hyde Park in London in July before talking with British Airways officials.

"Nashville is really a natural choice." Krohne said. "It is an area of emerging economic growth that boasts a community of diverse global citizens that are really interested in international travel."

The state’s 2018 budget included $1 million for the London flight, and another $500,000 was dedicated to the project. Metro government committed $500,000 and the airport dedicated $1 million in marketing over two years.

Reach Jamie McGee at 615-259-8071 and on Twitter @JamieMcGee_.

About the flight