British Airways will soon become the first airline to offer a year round direct flight from the UK to Portland, Oregon, one of eight new routes the carrier has announced for 2020.

From June 1, 2020, the airline will launch a five-per-week service to Portland from Heathrow Terminal 5 and the new route will take the number of US destinations the airline flies to from London up to 27.

This will also take the number of daily flights offered by British Airways and American Airlines as part of their transatlantic joint business up to 86 per day.

Atlantic Joint Business partners, British Airways, American Airlines, Finnair and Iberia will add eight new routes between Europe and North America from next summer, including American Airlines’ new service from Boston to London Heathrow and Iberia’s new route from Madrid to Washington D.C.

Flights to Portland will depart on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday and the route will be operated by one of British Airways’ newest aircraft, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Neil Chernoff, British Airways’ Director of Networks and Alliances said: “Portland will be a fantastic addition to our route map. As a major technology and innovation hub the city is drawing ever-increasing numbers of international visitors. Since 2015 we’ve launched routes to Pittsburgh, Charleston, Nashville, New Orleans and San Jose, and this is key to our joint business strategy which is growing across North America. We’re confident the route will be warmly welcomed by both business and leisure travellers.”

In addition to its acclaimed international food scene, Portland is home to a thriving festival, craft beer and music culture, as well as a vast range of outdoor activities from paddle boarding to year-round skiing, thanks to its two rivers and nearby Mount Hood. Portland is also consistently ranked as one of the most livable cities in the US, with more than 1,200 technology companies based in the metropolitan region.

British Airways launched 16 new routes across the globe in 2019, its centenary year, including direct flights to Pittsburgh and Charleston in the USA. These new routes come as the airline rolls out a £6.5 billion, five-year customer investment plan, with a focus on excellence in the premium cabins and more choice and quality for all its customers.

As well as the joint business with American Airlines, customers will be able to also benefit from British Airways’ enhanced network and relationship with Alaska Airlines to provide seamless travel and mileage earning opportunities beyond Portland.

Flights to the Basque region of Spain are also set to take off in 2020 when British Airways launches a new route to San Sebastián next summer.

It’s the first time flights to the resort town in the Bay of Biscay will operate from London City Airport with British Airways’ twice-weekly service through the peak summer months from July to September.

The airline will serve five Spanish destinations direct from the Docklands next summer.

San Sebastián is renowned for its picturesque beaches, waterfront promenade and cobblestone old town. It has world-renowned restaurants and is famous for having the highest concentration of bars in the world.

British Airways is making further changes to its schedule from London City next summer with additional flights to Berlin, Florence, Glasgow, Manchester and Nice. There will be some frequency reductions to Geneva, Ibiza and Rotterdam.

British Airways is also launching a new summer-only service from Glasgow to Palma next year. From the end of May there will be a weekly flight on Saturdays departing from Glasgow at 2.45pm, with the return from Palma at 7.50pm. There will also be an extra weekly flight from Stansted to Florence, Italy, from May 3.

Still on the European front, British Airways is launching six new European routes from London Heathrow for 2020.

For the first time ever, the airline will fly from Heathrow to the Kosovan and Montenegrin capitals, Pristina and Podgorica, with both flights departing on Saturdays from July 4 until August 29.

The city of Podgorica is a gateway to Montenegro’s turquoise waters and surrounding mountains, while Kosovo, Europe’s newest country in the heart of the Balkans welcomes visitors with charming towns and incredible hiking opportunities.

A brand-new route to Perugia in Italy, which is located amongst the spectacular mountains and enchanting hill-towns of Umbria will also launch next summer. Flights will depart on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays from July 2 through to August 31, with fares starting from £40 per person in Euro Traveller and £125 in Club Europe.

Turkish coastal towns, Dalaman and Bodrum are added back on to British Airways’ Heathrow route map, giving customers who want to explore the popular Aegean Coast even more choice. Flights will depart on Saturdays from May 23 through to October 24, with fares starting from £128 in Euro Traveller and £364 in Club Europe.

These flights will join a new summer service between London Gatwick and Antalya that takes off from April 30, 2020. Customers will also have the choice of two London airports when flying to Dalaman as the airline already operates a weekly service from Gatwick.

The Greek island of Rhodes, with its blend of sandy beaches, rocky coves and ancient charm offers travellers a pocket of Grecian paradise and will also be added to the airline’s Heathrow network from next summer. The Saturday service will commence on July 4 and run until August 29 with fares starting from £117 per person in Euro Traveller and £358 in Club Europe.

British Airways is also launching a new two-per-week service from Gatwick to the Greek island of Corfu from May 1 until October 23, 2020.

The airline is also increasing the frequency of 16 popular short haul routes from Heathrow, including popular holiday destinations such as Larnaca, Brindisi, Nice, Ibiza, Tenerife, Split, Olbia, Kefalonia and Preveza.