NEW YORK, May 02, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — British Airways began flying its new Airbus A380 aircraft between London Heathrow and Vancouver International Airport. This marks the first A380 for the city of Vancouver and the only scheduled A380 service in western Canada.

Simon Brooks, British Airways’ Senior Vice President North America sales, said, “I know our customers will be delighted to experience our new aircraft with spacious cabins and extensive entertainment options.

“Offering our latest addition to the fleet further extends our commitment to Vancouver and the wider British Columbian community.”

To coincide with the A380 launch, British Airways has partnered with the British Consulate General – Vancouver and UK Trade and Investment to bring a mission of nine emerging companies from British Columbia to London, supporting their growth with key introductions in the industry and contacts to help support potential investment.

Each company will also benefit from British Airways’ On Business program, which offers free membership and rewards points to small and medium sized businesses in Canada. The program now includes Iberia and American Airlines flights, allowing members to collect and spend across all three airlines and enjoy coordinated benefits that help businesses stretch their travel budgets.

Rupert Potter, British Consul General Vancouver, said, “Having a world class airline like British Airways, generously hosting a group of dynamic innovative companies in developing their business with the UK, could not be more exciting. It brings together the best of the UK with the best of British Columbia, and makes a real difference to our two way trade and investment. It’s what we at the British Consulate General and UKTI in Canada are all about.”

British Airways’ A380 Service
British Airways will operate the A380 daily from Vancouver to London for the summer season. The largest commercial airliner in the sky, British Airways’ A380 can accommodate up to 469 customers in four cabins, across two full decks.

The First cabin features 14 luxurious suites with 30 percent more personal space than the previous generation.
97 Club World (business class) seats that convert into full flat beds.
The popular World Traveller Plus (premium economy) cabin will have 55 seats and 303 seats will be available in World Traveller (economy).
The A380 is optimized for wellness, with quiet, spacious cabins and an advanced cabin air conditioning system that allows 15 different temperature control zones and cabin air that is changed every three minutes.

Enhanced Entertainment
Customers can enjoy on-demand seat-back entertainment, with more than 1,600 hours of programing. It features 130 movies, 650 TV shows and an extensive audio selection from around the world – something for every taste, from Slow TV, the exclusive Tate channel, inflight hypnotherapy, audio books for language learning as well as TV box sets and the very latest movie blockbusters.

Meeting the Needs of Business and Leisure Customers
British Airways Vacations offers a range of flight+hotel and flight+car packages, as well as sightseeing tours, city passes and theatre tickets around the world to suit all budgets. With a deposit of $10 per person customers can lock in a price for 72 hours, giving them time to confirm details with their friends and family and making it even easier to book with confidence.

Customers can book online at ba.com or by calling 1-800 AIRWAYS.