US Airways nonstop Charlotte-Rio flights OK'd

Pending final spring approval, daily trips start in October with seating for 204 passengers.
No word if the cheesy '70s song will be part of the marketing, but – my-oh, me-oh – US Airways is flying to Rio.

Yes, de Janeiro.

Federal officials on Friday approved US Airways' nonstop Charlotte-Rio de Janeiro flight. Pending final approval this spring, the carrier will start daily flights in October, using a Boeing 767 that seats 204 passengers.

The route would be the first nonstop service from Charlotte to South America, although US Airways expects at least 90 percent of passengers to connect in Charlotte from other airports.

For Charlotte travelers, though, the Rio flight provides another option for vacationers who have seen Europe become more expensive because of the dollar's exchange rate, said Nancy Cutter, president of Court Travel in uptown Charlotte.

“South America is very, very overlooked for a lot of people,” Cutter said. “It's been a great value for 15 years.”

Charlotte is US Airways largest hub, and the airline operates more than 80 percent of flights at the airport. US Airways applied for the Rio flight in January, and the U.S. Department of Transportation officials on Friday also approved a Houston-Rio route by Continental Airlines.

Other nonstop international flights in Charlotte include US Airways to Frankfurt, London and – starting April 21 – Paris, and Lufthansa to Munich. US Airways also flies to nearly two dozen destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America. The carrier asked the U.S. government in 2007 for permission to fly from Charlotte to Bogota, Colombia, but officials awarded flights to other airlines.

US Airways' international expansion comes as major airlines have seen softer demand for flights in recent months. After cutting domestic service last fall and this year, some carriers now are looking at reducing service to other countries.

US Airways won't start selling tickets for Rio flights or set a date for the first flight until it gets final approval from federal officials, airline spokeswoman Michelle Mohr said. A check of travel Web sites today showed that round-trip fares for Charlotte-Rio flights in October – connecting at other airports – cost about $1,000.

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