British Airways has confirmed that its flights to Dallas Fort Worth and Houston will move from Gatwick to 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.

British Airways' commercial director, Robert Boyle, said: "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 customers to transfer on to our global network via our new home at Terminal 5."

"Among the sectors to benefit will be the oil and gas industry as business travellers will be able to transfer with greater ease at Heathrow between Texas and destinations such as Lagos, Luanda and the Middle East."

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.