The flight from Gatwick launches on May 4 and will operate three times a week before dropping to biweekly on October 30. Prices will lead in at £765pp.
Lynne Embleton, British Airways’ managing director at Gatwick, said: “It is great to be the only airline to offer direct services between London and Peru.
“Lima is a fantastic gateway to some of the most dramatic places to visit in South America and will also provide a new link for British business seeking to invest in Peru’s growing market.”
Latin Routes director Martin Johnson agreed that the direct flight would help open up the country to new sectors of the UK market.
He said: “We’re delighted because Peru is such a popular destination and it is a destination that’s very underserved by the UK.
“Machu Picchu is a huge draw as everybody has seen a picture of it at some point.
“But aside from that there is a lot to offer, it is a perfect first-time place to go. It is also easy to travel around and you can see a lot of really good stuff without having to fly anywhere.
“It will bring more traffic to the rest of South America.”
He added the operator’s 15-night Highlights of Peru tailor-made tour leads in at £2,449pp and includes return flights from Gatwick as well as B&B accommodation.
Journey Latin America head of product Stuart Whittington added: “Latin America has traditionally been poorly served from the UK.
“In expanding their network across the continent, British Airways is making Latin America more accessible to British travellers who wish to discover the myriad delights of this incredible continent”.
Tom Waite, Kuoni commercial and product manager, added: “Kuoni customers do always prefer a direct service if there is one, and they are also often very loyal BA customers, so it’s great to now be able to offer the speed, convenience and comfort that this new service will provide.
“Latin America is a growing destination for us, with Peru the most popular country for our clients, so we fully expect demand for Peru to really take off on the back of this.”
