Primera Air sets up at Dulles Airport, will specialize in low-cost transaltantic flights

Today, Aug. 23, Gov. Ralph Northam welcomed representatives from Primera Air to Dulles International Airport (IAD) in celebration of the carrier’s inaugural flight to Virginia from London Stanstead Airport (STN).

The ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the launch of the first low-cost, transatlantic service between London and the Capital Region. Offering five nonstop, roundtrip flights per week, Primera Air’s low fares will make overseas travel more affordable and will open the door for increased international tourism, trade, and economic development between the United Kingdom and Virginia.

“Today, we celebrate the expansion of the important partnership between Virginia and the United Kingdom, as well as the increased connectivity that this new transatlantic service represents,”  Northam was quoted as saying in a news release. “We look forward to welcoming more British travelers as they explore our beautiful beaches, stunning mountain resorts, lively cities and charming small towns. This new service taking flight represents a key avenue for increased business and trade investment from the United Kingdom and across the European continent.”

International tourism is an important component of Virginia’s economic strategy. In 2017, 560,000 overseas travelers visited Virginia and spent more than $1.6 billion in the Commonwealth. Of those visitors, 80,000 were from the United Kingdom.

Primera Air is the latest in a series of new airline services launching at Virginia’s Dulles International in 2018. In 2017, Dulles’ international passenger activity increased to a record 7.8 million.