Small businesses to be offered £15m worth of free BA flights

Date: 28th April 2009

Small business owners are to be offered £15 million worth of free flights in order to help them promote themselves abroad.

With a number of British entrepreneurs having recently expressed regrets over the lack of taxation help for small businesses in last week's Budget, British Airways has announced that it is to distribute 4,000 business class tickets through the organisation UK Trade and Investment (UKTI).

According to those behind the scheme, this will help entrepreneurs take their businesses to potentially lucrative overseas markets such as the United States and continental Europe.

Announcing the launch of the initiative, BA chief executive Willie Walsh said: "We live in a globalised economy so business opportunities don't always live on your doorstep.

"This initiative gives small businesses the chance to promote and sell their products overseas."

News of the free flights comes just days after the government announced it is to make £290 million available to small businesses through its Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme, which aims to encourage innovation in the workplace.