British Airways (BA) has announced that it will suspend flights to Beijing, China’s capital, starting October 26. The airline did not provide a detailed explanation for the decision, but it is widely understood that flights from Europe to Asia have become increasingly costly and time-consuming. This is largely due to the fact that Western carriers now need to avoid Russian airspace, adding significant detours to their routes.
The decision to halt flights comes just over a year after British Airways reinstated the Beijing route in June 2023, following a three-year hiatus due to Covid-19 travel restrictions. At the time, the airline described the route as “one of the most important” in its network.
BA has stated that flights to Beijing will be suspended “at least until November 2025,” with the schedule subject to continuous review. The airline assured customers that it will reach out to affected passengers to offer rebooking options or full refunds. Despite the suspension of Beijing flights, British Airways will continue its daily flights to Shanghai and Hong Kong.
The rerouting of Western airlines to avoid Russian airspace has significantly increased flight times to China. This not only requires more fuel but also presents logistical challenges for crew accommodation. Meanwhile, Chinese carriers flying to London can continue to use Russian airspace, giving them a considerable competitive advantage.
In a similar move, Virgin Atlantic recently announced that it can no longer operate flights to Shanghai and has closed its only route to China as of this fall, just a year after resuming the service.
