British Airways plans to launch services to more Asian cities as the premium carrier chases growth in one of the world's fastest growing aviation markets, made possible with the arrival of new long-haul aircraft to its fleet.

The UK flag carrier, which already added two new Asian destinations to its network since December, is taking delivery of a new fleet of Boeing 787 and Airbus A380 jetliners, designed to operate long intercontinental flights ideal for the Asian market.

"The 787s will allow us to fly to more secondary cities in China and India and other destinations in Asia," British Airways commercial director Andrew Crawley told The Wall Street Journal in Singapore.

The Boeing 787s are smaller than the airline's existing long-haul aircraft and can profitably serve less busy routes. However, the executive declined to name specific routes citing competitive reasons.

Cargonews Asia