In a strategic decision influenced by the persistent closure of Russian airspace and diminished demand, British Airways (BA) is set to reduce its flights to China from UK by suspending the London-Beijing route in late October.
This decision follows closely on the heels of Virgin Atlantic, another UK-based carrier, which recently declared an end to its only route to mainland China. Virgin Atlantic cited the “significant challenges and complexities” posed by the inability to traverse Russian airspace as the reason for its suspension.
BA has confirmed that its London Heathrow to Beijing Daxing service will be on hold starting October 26. However, daily flights to Shanghai will continue without interruption.
“The suspension currently extends to flights until November 2025, though we will continue to reassess our schedule,” BA stated. “Like other UK carriers, our inability to utilize Russian airspace results in considerably extended flight durations, which carries commercial consequences.”
BA had only resumed its scheduled service to Beijing in June 2023 after a hiatus of more than three years due to the pandemic. Nonetheless, the carrier, much like Virgin Atlantic, faces escalating costs on numerous Asian routes due to the prohibition on overflying Russian territory.
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