Featured Maps: British Airways to North America (8 October 2010)

British Airways announced on Wednesday that it would return to the San Diego market starting 1 June 2011, with daily non-stop service to London Heathrow using 275-seat Boeing 777 aircraft.

British Airways first flew to San Diego in May 1988, flying from London Gatwick using DC-10-30 aircraft acquired with British Caledonian the preceeding year. This service lasted for two-and-a-half years; escalating fuel costs due to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait led to cancellation of the flight in November 1990.

British Airways returned to San Diego in July 1996 via a tag from Phoenix, again flying DC-10-30s from London Gatwick. The flight was upgauged to a Boeing 747-400 after several years, then upgraded to non-stop service in March 2001 and switched to a Boeing 777. Shortly after the 9/11 attacks the flight was scaled back from daily to five flights per week, briefly returning to daily service in spring 2002 before being cancelled in October 2003, by which time it had been moved from London Gatwick to London Heathrow.

San Diego will be the 27th active North American destination for British Airways, as shown on today's featured map. Four of these destinations, all holiday destinations, are served from London Gatwick while the others are served from London Heathrow. In addition, New York (JFK) is also served twice daily from London City, a service highlighted in yesterday's featured map.

Additional information:

• British Airways
• British Airways launches new daily non-stop flights between San Diego and London
• British Airways to try S.D.-to-London flight for a third time — SignOnSanDiego.com
• AA, BA and Iberia announce better deal for transatlantic fliers — British Airways Press Office
• Flight route maps around the world — British Airways