BA is roaring to go with British and Irish Lions Tour

British Airways will be the official airline of the British & Irish Lions Tour to South Africa in 2009. The partnership will see British Airways fly the squad and coaching staff to South Africa and provide domestic flights within the country through its branded franchise carrier, Comair.

British Airways has a strong rugby tradition supporting the Lions during the 2005 Tour of New Zealand and England in the triumphant World Cup campaign of 2003. The airline also has a long association with supporting British talent including previous sponsorship deals with the RFU and Scottish Rugby Union, as well as the England football team. British Airways is also the official airline of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, recently taking Team GB, ParalympicsGB and their equipment on their successful journey to Beijing.

Luisa Fernandez, British Airways global sponsorships manager said: "The British & Irish Lions Tour is a hugely popular sporting occasion, and we are very proud to be the official carrier for the Tour. It's an honour to transfer the players, support staff and the many fans to South Africa for the Tour, helping them arrive as well prepared as possible."

With Johannesburg already cited as one of the must-visit destinations in 2009, British Airways has increased flights from 14 to 19 a week* to accommodate demand, including the thousands of rugby supporters attending the Lions Tour. But you don't need to be Ian McGeechan to fly with the official airline, fans can get a piece of the action by visiting Ba.com

John Feehan, Chief Executive of the British & Irish Lions, said: "We are delighted that British Airways has decided to renew its partnership with the British & Irish Lions. The support the fans give the team is vitally important to their success, so it's fantastic that British Airways can fly so many supporters to South Africa and between major cities to get behind their team."

* From May 1, 2009 (Heathrow to Johannesburg)