Image Credits - cntraveler
British Airways has announced plans to suspend flights between London and Beijing, with the suspension potentially lasting up to a year. The decision comes in response to Russia’s ongoing ban on U.K. airlines entering its airspace, which has significantly increased flight times and affected the commercial viability of the route.
The airline, part of the International Consolidated Airlines Group, will cease flights on the London-Beijing route starting October 26. The suspension is expected to continue until around November 2025, though British Airways will periodically review the situation. The move follows Russia’s closure of its airspace to British carriers in February 2022, a retaliatory measure after the U.K. government implemented similar restrictions on Russian airlines as part of Western sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
British Airways, which resumed flights between London Heathrow and Beijing Daxing Airport in June 2023 after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, is now forced to make adjustments due to the extended airspace restrictions. The airline has stated that it will contact affected passengers to offer alternative flight options or provide refunds. In contrast, daily flights to Shanghai and Hong Kong will continue as scheduled.
The suspension of the Beijing route highlights the broader impact of geopolitical tensions on international aviation. The extended flight times due to the airspace ban have made the route less commercially viable, prompting British Airways to reassess its service offerings and focus on other key markets.