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BA suspend direct flights from Heathrow to Beijing amid rising operational costs

August 9, 2024

British Airways has created 1,700 jobs as it gears up for a summer boom allowing its parent company IAG to match last year’s operating profit bonanza of €3.5 billion.

British Airways (BA) has announced the suspension of its direct flights between London Heathrow and Beijing, effective from 26 October.

This decision comes little more than a year after the UK’s national carrier restored the route in June 2023, following a three-year hiatus due to Covid-related travel restrictions.

The airline did not provide a detailed explanation for the suspension, but the increased cost and complexity of flights to Asia—exacerbated by the need to avoid Russian airspace following the war in Ukraine—are likely key factors. Western airlines now face longer flight times to China, which significantly increases fuel consumption and complicates crew deployment. Meanwhile, Chinese carriers, who continue to fly directly over Russian territory, maintain a competitive edge by offering shorter and more cost-effective routes.

In a statement, a BA spokesperson said: “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.”

The service is not expected to resume until at least November 2025, although the airline has indicated that it will keep the situation under review. The move follows a similar decision by Virgin Atlantic to cease operations to Shanghai, highlighting the challenges faced by Western carriers in maintaining profitable routes to China under current geopolitical conditions.

BA’s decision also reflects broader challenges in reviving business travel to China. Despite the lifting of travel restrictions, the number of foreign tourists and business travellers visiting China has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels. The airline has struggled in the past to sustain its Chinese routes, having quietly discontinued its much-publicised Heathrow-Chengdu service in 2016.