British Airways will today (Tuesday, September 1) launch its long-awaited new daily non-stop flights between London and Denver - confident that the new route will swiftly become one of the most popular for holidaymakers and businessmen crossing the Atlantic.

The start of the new service, cutting some three and a half hours off the journey to the Colorado city, follows almost a year of intensive lobbying on both sides of the Atlantic to award British Airways rights to serve the one remaining US gateway city available under the current UK/USA air services agreement.

The airline, which had been considering serving Denver for years, had originally hoped to begin flights at the start of this summer after getting the go-ahead from the British authorities last December, but this was postponed because of delays in receiving the necessary US government approvals.

Bookings on the new service are buoyant, ensuring it gets off to a flying start.

Bob Ayling, the airline’s Chief Executive, who will travel on today’s first flight to Denver, said: “This is a great day for British Airways and for Denver and the many people who have worked so hard to get these new flights off the ground.

“With its thriving business community and its role as gateway to the Rockies, Denver is going to become one of the most popular US holiday spots among Britons in both the winter and summer, and a boom destination for UK business travellers.”

Bob Ayling will be greeted on arrival at Denver International Airport today by the city’s Mayor, Wellington E Webb, and will meet hundreds of civic and business leaders from Colorado during his whistle-stop tour, to thank them personally for their support in the lobbying campaign to get the new service off the ground.

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