GOOD NEWS:  Nonstop flight to London to start in April at Charleston airport

Staff reports  | British Airways has announced plans for new, nonstop air service between Charleston and London’s Heathrow Airport. The twice-weekly flight, slated to start in April 2019, marks the first transatlantic passenger flight from the Lowcountry and the State of South Carolina.

“We are ushering in a new day for this region and our state as we launch this flight to a premier European destination,” said Paul Campbell, CEO of the Charleston County Aviation Authority.

British Airways will operate the new service on Thursdays and Sundays. Flights will leave from Charleston at 10:50 P.M. and arrive in London the next morning at 11:50 A.M. Returning flights will depart London at 5:20 P.M. and arrive in Charleston at 9:20 P.M.

Campbell

“London’s Heathrow Airport is considered a gateway. British Airways offers service from Heathrow to over 130 destinations in Europe, Asia and beyond,” said Campbell. “We are excited to open the world to Charleston.”

“Overseas traveler preference for the South Carolina experience has been growing for many years, and this new nonstop service will help meet that demand,” said Duane Parrish, Director of the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. “In addition to Charleston, the new direct service will also increase overseas visitation to surrounding areas such as Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head and Columbia.”

The state’s largest airport is on a record-setting pace to exceed the four million passenger mark by year’s end. Through September, more than 3.3 million travelers have passed through the airport’s gates, up 12 percent from the same period in 2017.

The new flight is projected to generate an estimated economic impact of $20.2 million annually through new spending, job creation and other associated activity.

In other Good News:

Gilliard pushes for fairness.  When you compare the regulations that taxi drivers have to meet compared to folks who drive for Uber or Lyft, there is no comparison, according to this story by Lindsay Street, Statehouse correspondent for our sister publication, Statehouse Report.  She writes that state Rep. Wendell Gilliard, D-Charleston, wants regulations reviewed. “I’m all for fairness. I think everybody should be treated the same. Nobody should have priority above the other.” Click here to learn more.

One more debate.  Want more gubernatorial debates? The Republican and Democratic candidates for governor will appear on stage for a debate 7 p.m. Oct. 29 for the final gubernatorial-level debate before the Nov. 6 election.  Republican Pamela Evette and Democrat Mandy Powers-Norrell will meet in a live televised debate hosted by recently retired University of South Carolina dean and former CNN senior Washington correspondent Charles Bierbauer at SCETV studios in Columbia.