British Airways is set to suspend its direct flights between London Heathrow and Beijing from 26 October, citing escalating operational costs and the necessity to avoid Russian airspace.
The national carrier had only reinstated the route in June last year, after a three-year hiatus due to Covid-related travel restrictions.
Although BA did not explicitly outline the reasons for the suspension, the increased costs and extended flight times for European airlines avoiding Russian airspace have been significant factors. The rerouting has added complexities in fuel consumption and crew deployment, making the operation more expensive. Meanwhile, Chinese airlines, with the ability to fly directly over Russia, maintain a competitive edge on this route.
A spokesperson for British Airways stated, “We will be pausing our route to Beijing from 26 October, and we’re contacting any affected customers with rebooking options or to offer them a full refund. We continue to operate daily flights to Shanghai and Hong Kong.”
This decision comes just over a year after BA described the Beijing route as “one of our most important,” following its restoration in June 2023. The suspension is expected to last until at least November 2025, though the airline has indicated that the schedule will remain under review.
The challenges faced by British Airways are not isolated, as Virgin Atlantic also recently announced the closure of its Shanghai route, citing similar difficulties. The ongoing airspace restrictions and the slow recovery of international tourism to China have made these routes less viable for Western carriers.
Industry observers, such as the business travel website Head for Points, suggest that the strategic redeployment of aircraft to more profitable routes, such as those to the United States, where demand for premium cabins remains robust, is a prudent move for BA. The airline has previously struggled to sustain business routes to China, with its Heathrow-Chengdu service being quietly discontinued in 2016.