BA announces return to PIT, starting April 2019
 

4 x weekly on a 788 commencing April 2019.
By my maths that means something has to go to accommodate this unless the planned 2018 744 retirements still to happen are deferred?

Article from the Pittsburgh Business Times:

https://www.bizjournals.com/pittsbur...vice-from.html

British Airways will begin four-times-a-week service to London’s Heathrow Airport starting in April, the first regular airline service between the two cities in nearly two decades.

The year-round service on BA’s Boeing 787 twin-engine jet will begin on April 2.

The announcement was made during a Wednesday morning news conference with Allegheny County Chief Executive Rich Fitzgerald and Allegheny County Airport Authority CEO Christina Cassotis.

The destination joins three others to Europe, including Delta Air Lines’ nearly 10-year-old seasonal Paris-to-Pittsburgh route plus two newer routes: to Iceland via budget carrier Wowair and to Germany via Condor Airlines.

It's been a long time since Pittsburgh and London were connected with nonstop service. British Airways flew daily nonstop from Pittsburgh International Airport to London-Gatwick between 1985 and October 1999, but canceled it due to economic reasons.

London-Gatwick was picked up by US Airways in July 2000. The US Airways service to London’s Gatwick ended in 2004.

But nonstop service to London has been highly sought after but elusive.

There was a high level of secrecy leading up to the announcement. A notice of the news conference was sent late Tuesday evening, and an airport spokesman Tuesday night declined comment about the details.

Even some participants didn’t know what it was about. The River City Brass Band set up and played about 40 minutes before the news conference, but the quintet said they were just told to be there to play and there were no clues on what the airline or destination was based on the music.

More details:
The flights will operate on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays with BA171 departing from London Heathrow at 5:00pm and landing into Pittsburgh at 8:15pm. BA170 will depart Pittsburgh at 10:00pm, arriving into London at 10:35am the following day.

BA have new 787-8's being delivered so no need for something else to be withdrawn.

Does anyone know if the new 787`s have the engine problems associated with the older versions?

By April 2019 there will be 2 more 788's and 2 fewer 744's planned. I don't think any 787-10/77W/350-1000's are due until much later in 2019 onwards? Or else there are some earlier deliveries than we all might have been expecting......

Avios J release yet ?

I don't think any -8's are going to be replacing 747 routes. 2 of the 4 order have already been delivered and by then hopefully the -9 issues are resolved. Most likely is that because it's starting in April, whatever routes usually get 788's during the winter will go back to the 777.

Yes

Looks like inaugural is 2nd of April (Tuesday) and still two seats left.

Yep - Luanda, Angola.

Luanda, Angola.

But the 787-9 that operated the frequency moved over to IAD with the same twice weekly departure slot from LHR. The aircraft will overnight in IAD.

Whatever you do, BA, please don't scrap SYD just because QF is back on LHR-SIN-SYD!

It will be 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'...

787's delivered in 2018 (1x787-8 and 2x787-9) have been delivered with the Trent 1000-Ten version engines, which haven't had problems (yet).