BA's Heathrow early bird will be a boost for Highland business

A PIPE band helped ensure passengers were wide awake for the first British Airways early-morning flight between Inverness and London Heathrow in 22 years.

Customers were piped on board the aircraft, which left Inverness just after 7am on Monday morning, by members of the Inverness Royal British Legion Pipe Band which, like the airline, is celebrating its centenary this year.

The new Heathrow – Inverness schedule will see a 30 per cent increase in capacity on the route and will allow BA customers to travel between the two cities and return the same day.

Eden Court Theatre chief executive James Mackenzie-Blackman was among the first passengers to take advantage of the opportunity.

“The new schedule is a game-changing moment for Highland connectivity to London and the rest of the world,” he said.

Phyllis Stuart, British Airways’ Airport Manager at Inverness Airport, said: “This is an important day for British Airways, for Inverness and for the Scottish Highlands and Islands. The introduction of our new and expanded schedule gives the people and businesses of Inverness and the Highlands and Islands even greater access to more than 150 destinations on our global network from Heathrow."

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