At an event held in ” Grande Bretagne “, British Airways presented its £7 billion investment plan, while providing data showing a significant increase in traffic to Greece.
This plan includes upgrades to seats and cabins, investment in new technology and artificial intelligence for more efficient turnaround and operational decision making, and a new operating model at Heathrow, new zero-emission ground equipment and hybrid equipment at Heathrow, free in-flight Wi-Fi messaging for Executive Club members and re-launched services in Abu Dhabi, announced a return to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur this winter and added more services to great destinations such as Barbados, San Diego and São Paulo.
A major upgrade is that Club World will provide high levels of comfort and service:
– A spacious seat, which features a fully adjustable headrest and lumbar support, and converts to a fully flat bed
– Delicious food and beverage options using fresh, local ingredients
– Elegant bedding and amenity kits designed by The White Company
– Each seat features a personal monitor between 12″ and 18″ and noise-cancelling headphones
– Access to private lounges
– Dedicated check-in desks and priority boarding
Another upgrade is the Club Suite, the development of the business class seat. New aircraft entering the fleet are equipped with it.
All A350s and 787-10s entering the fleet have Club Suite, 58% of our transatlantic fleet is equipped with Club Suite.
The third position upgrade is First, which includes:
– a private, spacious suite, which comes with a personal screen between 15″ and 24″
– Exclusively designed Temperley London loungewear, leisure bag and slippers
– Delicious, indulgent dining with exclusively designed tableware, cutlery and glassware from the finest British designers
– The exclusive First Wing available at LHR’s Terminal 5, includes fast and smooth check-in with easy access to the lounges
– Exclusive service at most airports, including priority boarding and fast track to security
-Access to luxury lounges at Heathrow Terminal 5 and JFK New York
Passenger traffic Jan – Apr 2024 compared to Jan – Apr 2023: +16.5%.
The UK market was:
- 2nd in terms of international direct traffic in 2023 with +15% growth compared to 2019 and
- 2nd in terms of international visitors with +19% growth compared to 2019.
- 3rd in terms of international direct traffic in the four months Jan – Apr 2024 compared to the same period in 2023 with a +7% increase and
- 2nd in terms of foreign visitors and with an increase of 24% compared to the four months Jan – Apr 2024.
London, with a market share of 83% of the total UK market in Athens, with 47% of foreign passengers (tourists) visiting Athens between October and April (low season). It should be noted that British Airways is a major contributor to the growth of one of the two largest pools of tourists to Greece, the UK market, as it has carried over 7.8 million travellers to the country’s largest airport since 2002 to date.
In the first quarter of the year, the UK’s largest carrier recorded a 6.6% increase in the number of passengers carried to the Greek capital compared to the same period in 2023. It is noted that in 2023 British Airways carried about 400 thousand travelers to Athens. 
“British Airways has recorded spectacular growth in recent years and its contribution to the development of the Athens market over the years has been great”, said Ioanna Papadopoulou, AIA’s Director of Communications and Marketing.
British Airways carried approximately 500,000 passengers in 2023 and shows a growth of +6.6% in 2024 (Jan – Apr 2024).
Passengers on the route travel mainly for leisure (62%), while VFR traffic (purpose of travel to visit family and friends) and business account for 25% and 10% respectively.
Foreign visitors living abroad account for 62%, while Greeks living in Greece account for 37%.
Speaking at today’s event, British Airways Regional Commercial Director, Mr Emil Delibashev, said: “Following on from our positive financial results in 2023 and Q1 2024, we have announced our largest ever financial investment of £7 billion across 600 different initiatives. The investment programme is ongoing and will be completed over the coming years. This gives us confidence that we will continue to connect Greece to the UK and, beyond London, to 180+ other destinations, offering leading premium products and services such as Club Europe and Club World.”
