US Airways jumps on London Heathrow bandwagon

US Airways is the latest carrier to finagle takeoff and landing slots at London’s busy Heathrow Airport, with plans to begin service there on March 29, 2008, when the new U.S.-European Union “open skies” aviation agreement takes effect. That pact nullifies existing country-to-country bilateral agreements, including the one between the U.S. and U.K. that limits Heathrow access to only two U.S. carriers – United and American. In recent weeks, both Delta and Continental announced plans to begin their own Heathrow flights in late March – Delta from JFK and Atlanta, Continental from Newark and Houston. US Airways didn’t say where it got the Heathrow slots – only that it plans to launch one daily roundtrip between PHL and LHR on March 29, with tickets going on sale December 1. US Airways will use a two-class A330 on the route. The airline didn’t say whether the new Heathrow flight would replace or supplement its existing Philadelphia-London Gatwick daily service. US Airways also announced that it is acquiring another seven wide-body A330s over the next four years, which it said will allow it to continue its international growth plan of “adding approximately three to four new markets per year between 2009 and 2011.”