British Airways is reinstating its Heathrow-Inverness service this week almost 20 years after it ceased operations on the route.
The new daily service, which ended in 1997, will connect Inverness and the Highlands to London.
The announcement follows analysis which reveals the route could help generate up to £8 million for the local economy.
Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said: “The Inverness-Heathrow route offers so much potential for the businesses and people of the north west of Scotland who for too long have been let down by the indecision on airport expansion.
“Today is a momentous day – Inverness joins Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle with a route into Heathrow and access to markets from Manila to Mexico City, from Chicago to Chengdu, from Hanoi to Houston. It means more growth and a more secure economic future for the Highlands and I’m delighted that we’re able to be a part of that future success.”
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