Northwest adds Heathrow flights from three cities; Delta targets LAX-LHR

Northwest Airlines has unveiled plans to begin daily non-stop service to London Heathrow Airport from three cities in the spring – Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul and Seattle. The announcement means that London’s primary airport will have service from all six U.S. legacy carriers. Access to Heathrow has been limited to two U.S. airlines – United and American – by the existing U.S.-U.K. aviation agreement, but that bilateral pact will be eliminated by the new ‘Open Skies” agreement between the U.S. and European Union, which takes effect at the end of March 2008. Northwest said it will begin one daily LHR roundtrip from Minneapolis/St. Paul on March 29, followed by one flight a day from Detroit beginning May 1 and one from Seattle effective June 1.

Northwest said it will continue to operate its existing daily flight between Detroit and London Gatwick. Northwest’s Heathrow flights will operate out of Terminal 4 there, where its joint venture partner KLM is located. Northwest will use Airbus A330s for the new London flights, equipped with World Business Class and economy class.

Meanwhile, Delta announced it will begin offering new Los Angeles-London Heathrow service on March 30, with one daily roundtrip operated by joint venture partner Air France. Delta said the LAX-LHR service will use a three-class 777.

Heathrow, Europe’s busiest connecting airport, is by far the primary target for U.S. airlines’ plans to expand or relocate transatlantic operations when the new aviation pact takes effect. Other new services to Heathrow starting in the spring include US Airways from Philadelphia, Continental from Houston and Newark, and Delta from Atlanta and New York JFK. Incumbents American and United are also expanding Heathrow service. American said it will switch its existing Raleigh/Durham service from Gatwick to Heathrow, as well as one of its two daily Dallas/Ft. Worth-Gatwick flights. And United has announced plans to launch new Denver-Heathrow service.