British Airways has announced this week that it will be operating daily flights between London Heathrow and Rio de Janeiro as of October.
Rio de Janeiro – Brazil’s second largest city – has been an increasingly popular route for both holidaymakers and business travellers, both of whom will welcome the additional capacity and flexibility on the route. BA have said that they will operate the flights seven days a week as of the 28th October 2013; adding the additional Monday flight, which the current schedule omits.
Famous for being built in and around a series of mountains, its 40 metre high statue of Christ and Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, Rio is the most-visited city by tourists in South America. Rio will also be the host of the next FIFA football World Cup, in 2014, followed by the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2016.
British Airways will continue to use its four-class Boeing 777-300ER on the route, with return tickets starting at £697 in World Traveller, £1033 in World Traveller Plus, £2484 in Club World, and £6097 for First Class. The 5,775 mile journey takes approximately 11 hours and 40 minutes, with flights for Rio leaving from London at 1:15pm touching down at 20:55 (local time). The return flight departs at 22:50 (local time) landing back at Heathrow at 14:00.
Aimed at the booming tourism and business markets in Brazil, BA – who operates 60% of direct flights to Rio from London – will want to grow this route for both types of travellers, as well as those using Rio as a stopover for further connections within Brazil and South America.