An aircraft loaded with goggles, face guards, gowns and ventilators left Shanghai at 11am local time today (9 April) and is due to land at Heathrow this afternoon.

This is the first of several BA flights due to transport supplies over the coming days, including 55 tonnes of hand sanitiser - the equivalent of 62,000 large bottles. 

They are being operated in partnership with IAG Cargo and the UK government. 

“We have been working round the clock to bolster the NHS supplies and save lives and we are seeking further deliveries as a matter of urgency," said Nigel Adams, the UK’s minister of state for Asia.

BA is one of 14 airlines which has partnered with the UK government to repatriate British people stranded abroad.

Alex Cruz, British Airways’ chairman and chief executive, added: “We are doing all we can to support the global response to Covid-19, whether it’s flying important medical supplies in to the UK or helping to bring Britons home.

"We will continue to use all available resources to support the government, the NHS and communities all over the world who might be in need of our help.”