British Airways' Texan gateway for Mid East's oil industry

British Airways - the UK's flagship airline which operates 49 weekly services from the GCC to London Heathrow - has confirmed that its flights to Dallas Fort Worth and Houston will move from Gatwick to the carrier's dedicated Terminal 5 facility at Heathrow from March 30, 2008 when the "Open Skies" aviation agreement starts.

There will be a daily flight to Dallas Fort Worth and two flights each day to Houston, all of which will be operated on Boeing 777s.
"Open Skies allows us to fly non-stop from Heathrow to Dallas Fort Worth and Houston for the first time. While these routes have been well served from Gatwick, moving to Heathrow makes it easier for our Middle East customers to transfer on to our global network via our new home at Terminal 5," said Paul Starrs, British Airways' Commercial Manager, Middle East.

"Among the sectors to benefit will be the GCC's oil and gas industry players, as business travellers will be able to transfer with greater ease at Heathrow between Texas and their respective destinations in the Arabian Gulf."

British Airways flies to 19 destinations in the United States with more than 280 return flights each week. The airline currently flies from Heathrow to Houston via Detroit. All Texas flights will be non-stop from March 30, 2008.