Las Vegas Weekly

October 25, 2009 · 10:44 AM

Photo Gallery: Mayor heads home on British Airways flight

By Robin Leach

Mayor Oscar Goodman is flanked by British Airways CEO Willie Walsh and his Las Vegas showgirls Jennifer and Portia.

Photo: Nick Morrish/British Airways/Seven Squared

Our Merry Mayor of Mirth Oscar Goodman has left London’s Heathrow Airport and is headed home to Las Vegas. The inaugural, direct British Airways service -- 10 years in the making -- left on time this afternoon British time and will land here at McCarran at 7:20 p.m. our time.

Water cannons will shoot an arch of H2O across the Terminal 2 tarmac as the Boeing 777 three-class jet taxis for the first time. We’ll be there for Oscar’s arrival and bring you a full photo report tomorrow.

Today marks British Airways’ first-ever service from Heathrow to Las Vegas, bringing the number of cities in the U.S. served by B.A. to 19.

British Airways CEO Willie Walsh said: “Despite the recession, we continue to invest in new products and services for our customers. We see real opportunities for growth in Las Vegas.

“I don’t gamble as a rule, but I am confident we are on to a winner. We are the only U.K. airline offering nonstop services from Heathrow to Las Vegas, and our network offers fantastic connectivity via Terminal 5 to Europe, the Middle East and South Asia.”

The U.S. route spearheads the airline’s leisure strategy, which includes new services from Gatwick to Montego Bay in Jamaica, Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, Male in the Maldives, Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt and Innsbruck in Austria.

“British Airways is a great airline for business and leisure, and we are investing in these routes to provide new and exciting holiday opportunities for our customers,” Willie added.

Photo: Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority

British Airways Chairman Martin Broughton, Mayor Oscar Goodman and Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority President and CEO Rossi Ralenkotter.

Oscar summed up: “Today’s inaugural flight is the culmination of work over the last decade. Combining these two globally recognized brands is a powerful statement that creates a great new opportunity to bring the world to Las Vegas. We look forward to a long-term partnership.”

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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