British Airways adds non-stop from Phoenix to London

— -- British Airways will add another nonstop Phoenix-London flight starting on Dec. 5, which will increase its service at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport from six to seven days a week.

The last time British Airways operated nonstop Phoenix-London flights seven days a week was in 2003, Sky Harbor officials said.

They estimate the airline's economic impact for the Phoenix region will increase to $100 million a year with the additional flight.

At the current six-day flights, the British airline has an economic impact of about $86 million a year on the Phoenix region and $9.43 million on Sky Harbor alone.

Phoenix has been trying to draw more international flights to Sky Harbor, including nonstop flights to and from European destinations, because such flights have a ripple effect on the economy. They generate millions of dollars in revenue to the airport, as well as millions of dollars in trade, tourism and commerce for the state.

"This is great news for Phoenix and our entire region," Mayor Greg Stanton said in a statement about British Airways increased service. "Intercontinental flights are huge contributors to the success of our Phoenix airport system, our city's economy and our region's overall economic future."

He said the addition of the flight is a healthy sign that the local economy is recovering.

Sky Harbor officials estimate that in a year, a single nonstop daily European route can generate $11 million in airport-related expenditures and $100 million in total expenditures for the state.

British Airways began flying nonstop Phoenix-London Heathrow Airport flights since July 1996.

Statistics show Sky Harbor ridership for British Airways peaked in 2006 when 88,990 passengers took the Phoenix-London nonstop flights. The recession bumped ridership to 75,402 passengers in 2008, and since then, passenger counts on the British Airways flights have been gradually increasing.

Last year, British Airways carried 76,379 passengers on the Phoenix-London flights — a 1.2% increase over 2008.

The latest Sky Harbor statistics show 15,830 passengers flew on British Airways flights in April. That represents a 2.1% increase in ridership from April 2011, when 15,506 passengers took British Airways flights to and from Phoenix.

British Airways also hauls a lot of freight to and from Phoenix, including semiconductors, lettuce and other Arizona-grown produce. In April, the airline carried more than 528,020 tons of cargo on its nonstop Phoenix-London flights, Sky Harbor statistics show.

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