United Airlines celebrated the 15th anniversary of service between Birmingham and its New York hub, Newark Liberty International Airport, with a gate ceremony at Birmingham Airport today.
(left) Bob Schumacher, United’s Managing Director Sales U.K. & Ireland is pictured with Marilyn Munroe look-alike and (right) Paul Kehoe, CEO of Birmingham Airport, to celebrate the carrier’s 15th years of operating between Birmingham and Newark.
Since United inaugurated its Birmingham-New York/Newark daily nonstop service in July 1997, more than 1.5 million customers have travelled on the route.
Customers travelling on flight UA27 to New York/Newark today were joined by Bob Schumacher, United’s Managing Director Sales U.K. & Ireland, and were entertained by members of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and a Marilyn Monroe look-alike.
“We are proud to have served Birmingham for 15 years and we thank the many customers who have flown with us during that time,” said Schumacher. “We owe our success to the important partnerships with trade and corporate customers we have built over the past decade and a half, as well as the hard work and dedication of our local sales and operations teams.”
Paul Kehoe, Chief Executive Officer, Birmingham Airport, said: “It is fantastic that we have today celebrated the 15th anniversary of the United Airlines service from Birmingham to Newark. This service has gone from strength to strength over the years and we are looking forward to working closely with United to welcome millions of more passengers on the route.”
Jerry Blackett, Chief Executive, Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, said: “Since launching the Birmingham to New York route, United Airlines has helped to give the city a competitive edge and become an attractive investment for investors, by turning Birmingham into a key link between the U.K. and the U.S. In addition, the airline has contributed to the local economy.”
Flight UA27 departs Birmingham daily at 9:00 a.m. and arrives at New York/Newark at 11:55 a.m. the same day. The return flight, UA26, departs New York/Newark daily at 7:00 p.m. and arrives in Birmingham at 7:10 a.m. the next day.
The flights are conveniently timed to provide connections beyond New York/Newark to cities across North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. From its Newark Liberty hub, United offers flights to more than 300 destinations across the Americas including more than 100 served nonstop.
United operates the largest hub in the New York City metropolitan area at Newark Liberty International Airport. Located just 14 miles from downtown Manhattan, the airport offers the fastest surface transfer journeys to many parts of the city, including the AirTrain service to New York Penn Station in midtown Manhattan, with a journey time of less than 30 minutes.
The Birmingham flights are operated by Boeing 757-200 aircraft featuring 169 seats – 16 in United BusinessFirst® and 153 in United Economy®, including 45 Economy Plus® seats with added legroom.
Find out more about Birmingham Airport at www.birminghamairport.co.uk or on Twitter at bhx_official.