The move takes the airline’s direct US routes to 26. The new Portland service, which launched on 3 June, provides the city’s only direct route to the UK. It will operate five times a week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

BA also relaunched its direct route from Pittsburgh to London on 3 June, which will operate four times a week, year-round, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

On Monday (6 June) the airline launched a new daytime flight from Newark Liberty airport to Heathrow, which will depart at 7.55am from the New Jersey airport.

With this additional flight time, BA, along with its joint business partner, American Airlines, will offer 15 daily departures from the New York area to London this summer, including 11 daily flights from JFK to Heathrow and one daily flight from JFK to Gatwick. 

This summer also marks the return of daily direct flights from San Jose, California, to London on 13 June and the return of A380 aircraft to more North American airports, with Chicago and Vancouver the first to welcome the Airbus last week.