British Airways Announces New Route to Nashville

On Tuesday, August 8th, 2017 British Airways announced a new route from London Heathrow (LHR) to Nashville (BNA) set to commence on May 4th, 2018. B.A. will serve the Tennessee Capitol 5x weekly with a Boeing 787-8 which holds 35 Club World seats (business class), 25 World Traveler Plus seats (premium economy), and 154 World Traveler seats (economy).

Why Nashville?

This is a route development that I have been monitoring for quite some time, as I have lived in Tennessee for the past four years while attending University. In my view, there are really two ways to analyze this route.

1. Tourism:

Nashville has grown to prominence as one of the premier tourist destinations in the United States. The city’s music scene, great food, and southern charm have earned it the nickname “Nash-vegas”. If bar crawling down Nashville’s renowned Broadway Street isn’t your thing, you can catch a show at the Grand Ole Opry, grab tickets to a Predator’s or Titan’s game, or head out and explore some of the most beautiful outdoor activities that the United States has to offer. Similarly, the state is home to the Bonnarroo music festival in nearby Manchester TN every June, which draws renowned artists from around the world.

Personally, I can attest that Nashville is a magnificent city to visit. Whether it be a short weekend getaway, bachelor/bachelorette party, or a weeklong vacation, Nashville (and the state of Tennessee, for that matter) will keep you occupied, happy, and full for the entirety of your visit.

2. Business/Corporate Travel:

While southern food and country music are great, they alone cannot sustain 5x weekly transatlantic service. Instead, British Airways will rely heavily on Nashville’s corporate presence to fill seats. Presently, the Greater Nashville Area is home to 6 Fortune 500 companies:

• Fortune #63: HCA Holding Inc.
• Fortune #125: Community Health Systems
• Fortune #139: Dollar General Corp.
• Fortune #415: Tractor Supply Co.
• Fortune #430: Lifepoint Health
• Fortune #445: Delek U.S. Holdings

And also maintains large footprints from the following companies:

• Nissan (automotive, 10,000+ employees)
• Randstad (Dutch H.R. services, 4,300+ employees)
• Kroger (grocery retailer, 3,200+ employees)
• Lowe’s (home improvement and appliance, 2,900+ employees)
• General Motors (automotive, 2,600+ employees)
• AT&T (telecommunications, 2,100 employees)
• UPS (shipping and freight, 2,000+ employees)
• Amazon (online retailer 2,000+ employees)
• UBS (financial services, 1,500+ employees)
• Dell (computer technology 1,500+ employees)
• Verizon (telecommunications, 1,300+ employees)

In addition, the city boasts one of the most coveted educational institutions in the country; namely Vanderbilt University. One of the most prestigious University’s in the United States, Vanderbilt is also home to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, a top tier healthcare facility and the largest employer in the city (20,000+ employees). In total, the city boasts a population of roughly 660,000 (24th in the country), and is larger than Portland, Atlanta, Baltimore, and Raleigh, all of which already sustain 1 or more regularly scheduled transatlantic flight.

Summary:

This route further entrenches British Airways as the top-dog in the U.K.-North America market, and comes on the heels of a similar route to New Orleans (MSY) already introduced by the airline earlier this year.

This is the perfect route for a 787-8, and exactly what Boeing intended the aircraft to do; open up previously unfeasible “long and thin” routes (long-haul routes to destinations that don’t have quite as much demand as primary markets).

Another important factor to consider is B.A.’s choice of LHR instead of Gatwick. Gatwick is primarily used as B.A.’s leisure destination hub, so B.A.’s choice of LHR further emphasizes the airlines’ reliance on BNA’s corporate travelers to sustain the route (LHR has connection opportunities across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East on B.A. that Gatwick does not).

This announcement comes on the heels of B.A.’s recent 787 growth into North American markets like New Orleans, LA (MSY), San Jose, CA (SJC), Calgary, Alberta (YYC), and Baltimore, Maryland (BWI).

To the Point!

Do not underestimate the value that this flight will bring to Tennessee business travelers. Nashville is a burgeoning city with a growing corporate influence, and B.A.’s introduction into the market is not solely hinged on the city’s country music and good whiskey (although if that is your motivation, go anyways. You wont regret it).

Do not be surprised to see Condor or Norwegian jump into this market. I’ve even heard rumblings that the city has been searching for a transpacific flight to Japan as a result Nissan’s corporate headquarters in the Greater Nashville Area. While this may be a bit of a pipe dream, don’t discount BNA’s continued resurgence for much longer especially if oil prices stay low (another long shot).