St. Louis welcoming a flight from British Airways is a perfect illustration of how new airline routes come about.

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Airlines seem to always be announcing new routes. Delta and United recently unveiled new flights to Europe for summer 2026, Aer Lingus in September said it would start flying from Raleigh to Dublin. There’s always something going on.

But some of these flights make more sense to me than others.

When I heard that travelers in St. Louis will be able to fly directly to London starting next year, I’ll admit it wasn’t the first route that came to my mind as an obvious connection.

Lambert International Airport will welcome its second transatlantic route in the modern era when British Airways (BA) begins four-times-a-week seasonal service to St. Louis from Heathrow on April 19. Lufthansa already connects to St. Louis from its hub in Frankfurt.

It got me thinking: how did British Airways decide to start service to St. Louis? Why is this a route that makes sense?

So, I asked BA what went into their decision process. And I spoke to Brad Dean, president and CEO of Explore St. Louis, about how the city pitched itself to the airline.

Here’s what I learned about how new airline routes open up.

Who approaches who?

For St. Louis, getting service to London back is a big deal, and it’s something they’ve been working on for decades. According to Dean, the last service from St. Louis to London ended in 2002.

He said that stakeholders across the region, from the tourism board he works for, to the port authority and business representatives, have been in active discussions with British Airways, showcasing why St. Louis makes sense as the next point on the airline’s map.

For BA, that kind of joint effort is an important part of making sure a new route has support on the ground.

“We collaborated closely with the local airport authority, tourism organizations and business partners who helped showcase the city’s growing demand for a transatlantic service,” Neil Chernoff, British Airways’ chief planning and strategy officer told me in a written statement. “These partnerships are key to ensuring we meet the needs of both new and existing customers while offering seamless global connectivity for business and leisure travelers alike.”

In this case, getting British Airways came to St. Louis partly because of the region’s outreach to the airline, bringing the data to support why it made sense for BA to serve the airport.

Not a spur of the moment decision

The decision to add a new route takes a lot of investment, both from the airline and the destination, so it happens only with careful planning and analysis.

“We look closely at customer demand, market trends, and how a destination fits within our global network. Our network planning team typically works up to 18 months in advance to develop our schedule, while also monitoring long-term trends that could influence our network over the next decade,” Chernoff said. “It’s a detailed process that takes into account factors such as economic growth, business and trade links, tourism potential, and overall operational performance.”

Dean, who previously helped get British Airways to serve Charleston, South Carolina, said he knows how important data is to airlines as they consider potential new routes.

“BA does not throw darts at a map. They study the data and the planes follow the data,” he said. “This is a huge announcement for St. Louis and very timely, but this milestone is bigger than just a flight, it’s a symbol of our resurgence and what St. Louis can become.”

How routes are analyzed once they start

Tickets on the St. Louis route are already on sale, and British Airways said early demand has been strong, with St. Louis-London searches on the airline’s website surging nearly 1,000 percent on the day of the announcement.

But it’s the longer-term trends that matter to the airline.

“Once a route officially launches, we closely monitor its performance across several key areas, including customer demand, load factors, and connecting traffic through Heathrow,” Chernoff said. “We also work hand in hand with our local partners and stakeholders to ensure we’re supporting the market effectively and making adjustments where needed. Continuous evaluation allows us to refine schedules and optimize the route for long-term success.”

What’s next for St. Louis

Dean said St. Louis and stakeholders around the region are optimistic that demand for the British Airways flight will grow. He noted that Lufthansa is adding frequencies on its flight to Frankfurt, which he thinks is a sign that St. Louis is ready for more international traffic.

“This is viewed as much bigger than one carrier from one city,” Dean said. “We view this not simply as a connection to London, but through London to the world.”

As St. Louis prepares to host games for the FIFA World Cup in 2026, Dean said it’s likely that passenger traffic will surge. But, he said, the British Airways flight also brings an increase in air cargo capacity that could help give the route even more staying power.

“I could see this becoming year-round and perhaps daily service at some point,” he said.

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why British Airways picked this US city for its next big UK route

Reporting by Zach Wichter, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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