Kolkata: Buoyed by expanding business in India, British Airways has decided to increase flights from London Heathrow to five Indian cities from 35 per week to 42 from April.

From April 8, British Airways would operate 14 flights to Mumbai, in place of the current seven to Delhi, six to Bangalore, five to Chennai and three to Kolkata, BA Marketing Manager (South Asia) Charles P Carneiro said at an interactive session with media here today.

Stating that the BA considered India a 'huge market' where opportunities existed for harnessing resources, he said that with this end in view, BA has launched a campaign on October 15 last year to popularise the air travel business.

''We have come out with an India specific campaign and floated the idea of introducing online boarding passes shortly,'' Carneiro said.

To a question, he said that BA did not have any problem for required facilities in any Indian airport, adding that it was 'smooth' in Mumbai and Kolkata as well.

He, however, declined to disclose the revenue the BA had earned from its business in India, but said that it had gone up along with the rise in passengers from India.

British Airways, one of world's largest international airlines carrying 36 million passengerss around the globe, has extensive worldwide network of 157 routes in 77 countries.

During 2004-05, the airlines made an operating profit of 540 million pounds and a pre-tax profit of 415 million pounds.