British Airways has announced their latest route into the United States. The flag carrier will begin operations to Oakland International Airport from London Gatwick, starting March 28 2017. The route will be served four times a week on Boeing 777-200ER aircraft - the first route from Gatwick to California for the airline.

With this service, BA becomes the only European airline to operate from all three Bay Area airports, allowing even more choice for their customers. Earlier this year, a link between London Heathrow and San Jose, CA began, offering a daily non-stop service. The carrier also operates a twice daily service from London Heathrow to San Francisco.

British Airways are dedicated to an expansion in the United States. Within the last month, BA has announced two new American routes: New Orleans from London Heathrow to be served four times a week on Boeing 787-8 aircraft. This route was monumental for New Orleans, as it is only the second direct European link from the Big Easy. The carrier also announced service to Fort Lauderdale from London Gatwick, offering flights three times a week on Boeing 777-200 aircraft - increasing to a four times weekly service during the busy summer schedule. Fort Lauderdale service will begin in July 2017.

This announcement further highlights the airport’s phenomenal growth. Oakland International Airport is the fourth busiest airport in California, handling more than 11 million passengers a year. September saw more than one million passengers served, which meant traffic was up by 9.6 percent – the airport’s 36^th consecutive month of growth. It is also the closest airport to the San Francisco financial district.

Norwegian has made history in Oakland more than once. Back in 2014, the carrier became the first to offer non-stop flights to both Oslo and Stockholm on their Dreamliner. They also announced new service from Barcelona and Copenhagen in September, which is only the fourth and fifth European destinations from Oakland. The Barcelona route is the only non-stop link to Spain.

Oakland International Airport is a focus airport for Southwest, who will offer links to Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos early next year. Major American carrier Delta Air Lines announced it will offer a link to Atlanta in June 2016.

Port of Oakland Director of Aviation, Bryant L. Francis, said: “We are so pleased to welcome British Airways to OAK, and greet them with tremendous excitement as this new transatlantic service represents ever-expanding opportunities for our growing Airport and the entire Bay Area. Residents and visitors will have more options than ever before in selecting the schedule and airport which best fits their needs when traveling to/from London on British Airways."