Helping To Connect Pittsburgh To London

The U.S. Commercial Service is a valued partner of Allegheny County Airport Authority/Pittsburgh International Airport (the “Airport”) as it seeks to expand international air service to the region.  In the United Kingdom, the U.S. Commercial Service helped inform the Airport’s approach to the market by providing in-depth market counseling and research that culminated in the delivery of a successful Single Company Promotion event seamlessly executed by the U.S. Commercial Service office in London.  The Airport credited the U.S. Commercial Service as a key component in its strategy to secure nonstop, year-round scheduled flights from London to Pittsburgh on British Airways beginning in 2019.  As air travel resumed following the global pandemic, the Airport approached the U.S. Commercial Service office again as it prepared a campaign to relaunch—and grow—the 2019 air route from London to Pittsburgh—an important route for the region’s economic vitality.  The U.S. Commercial Service teams in Pittsburgh and London coordinated to provide guidance on the fluid market dynamics in the UK as the world tested how to “re-open” borders, evolving visa requirements for UK citizens traveling to the United States, and frequent updates to U.S. Government travel restrictions and requirements.  Another Single Company Promotion was delivered with the advice and input of the U.S. Commercial Service.  Shortly thereafter, British Airways announced that it would increase its scheduled air service from four to six times per week during the summer 2023 travel season.  

“The U.S. Commercial Service is a valued partner to Allegheny County Airport Authority/Pittsburgh International Airport as we seek to build international ties between Pittsburgh and the world through new and increased international air service.  The Single Company Promotion event in London was flawless in its execution and helped us secure increased air service from British Airways that will have a significant economic impact to the region’s growth and continued development.”—Vince Gastgeb, Vice President, Government and Community Affairs, ACAA/PIT