80 years later, Earhart mystery may unravel

Fort Lauderdale to Gatwick flights to run four days per week

Newly unearthed documents offer the tantalizing possibility of solving the Amelia Earhart mystery. The pioneering aviator vanished in what was thought to be a plane crash. The new evidence, including a photograph, suggests she not only survived but was taken away by the Japanese.

FORT LAUDERDALE — British Airways on Thursday became the second international carrier to offer nonstop flights between Fort Lauderdale and London with the launch of widebodied jet service between the two destinations.

The airline’s new year-round route between Fort LauderdaleHollywood International Airport and London’s Gatwick Airport is scheduled to operate four days per week using 275-passenger Boeing 777-200 aircraft.

The jetliner has a three-class configuration with 40 business, 24 premium economy and 203 economy class seats, British Airways said. In-flight offerings will include free meals, snacks, beverages and a full-service bar.

The U.K. carrier joins Scandinavian low-cost airline Norwegian Air Shuttle in offering South Floridians and travelers from Fort Lauderdale a nonstop option to Gatwick, London’s second-largest international airport.

“Our research and intelligence tells us there is demand in Fort Lauderdale both in and out and for business and for leisure,” said Doug Caines, a British Airways’ vice president of operations, safety and business development, during launch festivities at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood.

When asked if demand for the new route had been impacted following recent terrorism-related incidents in London this year, Caines replied: “No. London and the U.K. really are definitely open for business. We’re very happy with the bookings we’re receiving so far.”

With Fort Lauderdale, British Airways is now serving four airports in Florida, with each offering different connecting opportunities for travelers, Caines noted.

In South Florida, British Airways has long served London Heathrow Airport from Miami, and also flies to Gatwick from Orlando and Tampa. With the four markets, the carrier now offers more seats to London from Florida than any other carrier, Caines said.

Fort Lauderdale’s tourism offerings, international yachting scene and global cruise gateway at Port Everglades helped persuade the airline to add Broward County to its Florida destination, company officials have said.

In remarks Thursday, Mark Gale, aviation director and CEO of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, said the new route provides opportunities for travelers to experience the uniqueness and cultures of both regions.

“Today FLL becomes British Airways’ 25th destination in the United States, and again we welcome you with open arms,” Gale said.

The United Kingdom is the top source market for international visitors to Broward, according to the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.

“The CVB and the Broward County Aviation Department have been working for the last couple of years to bring this flight to the destination, so this is an exciting time for us,” said Erick Garnica, director of international sales for the tourism bureau. “This new service means a boost to our local economy, filling our hotels and restaurants and supporting tourism jobs in Greater Fort Lauderdale.”

Others see the new flight as helping to forge new business ties between the destinations.

MIAMI HERALD FILE PHOTO Earhart’s plane sits on a Miami tarmac, its rear window replaced with lightercolored aluminum.

CARLINE JEAN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER British Airways celebrates its new route between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and London’s Gatwick Airport as the first plane arrives in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday.