American Airlines Increases London Service

Situated some 40 miles northeast of London and operated by BAA, Stansted Airport has become the city's leading centre for low-cost airlines, which offer flights to dozens of European destinations from there. An express train to Liverpool Street Station makes Stansted convenient for London's main financial district, known as the City of London. American Airlines will begin serving Stansted from New York JFK on October 28, 2007 with 221-seat Boeing 767-300ERs. Credit: BAA

American Airlines plans to launch a new route from New York JFK to London Stansted Airport this fall and to transfer two other flights from London Gatwick Airport to the city's Heathrow Airport in March.

On October 28 American will begin serving Stansted from New York John F. Kennedy International Airport using Boeing 767-300ERs. The 767s will have two-class cabins and will seat 30 in business class and 191 in economy class. American says it will also offer a second JFK-Stansted round-trip from the spring of 2008.

Stansted is a fast-growing airport northeast of London that has become the English capital's leading airport for low-fare airlines. An express train from the airport operates to Liverpool Street station, in the heart of London's financial district.

On March 29 next year, American will switch one of its two daily Dallas/Fort Worth-Gatwick flights to Heathrow. On the same day, it will also switch its daily Raleigh/Durham-Gatwick service to Heathrow.

The airline will continue to use Boeing 777-200ERs for each of the two flights, as well as the other Dallas/Fort Worth flight that will continue to serve Gatwick. American's 777s seat 245 people in three service classes -- first, business and economy.

According to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), American's announcement follows a move last week by its Oneworld alliance partner British Airways to transfer its daily DFW flight from Gatwick to Heathrow.

Not coincidentally, American is transferring its flights to Heathrow in the same month as the new air service agreement between the United States and the 27 nations of the European Union goes into effect.

The new agreement liberalizes air transport between the signatories and opens up Heathrow -- long closed to service by most U.S. airlines and to many U.S. destinations -- to U.S. carriers as long as they are able to find landing slots at the busy airport.

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