British Airways will cease flights to Beijing after the summer, citing the rising costs associated with being compelled to avoid Russian airspace.
The airline, along with others in Europe, continues to take longer routes to reach the Far East, resulting in higher expenses for fuel and increased crew duty times.
In contrast, other carriers, including those from China, are able to fly over Russian airspace, affording them a commercial advantage.
British Airways resumed its Beijing flights in 2023, though demand has remained ‘weak’, CFO Nicholas Cadbury informed investors last month.
The airline announced that flights to Beijing will be suspended until November 2025, with the situation to be reviewed.
Additionally, BA is reducing its daily flights to Hong Kong from two to one but will maintain its services to Shanghai.
Virgin Atlantic recently announced that it will discontinue its Shanghai flights in October for the same reason.
