British Airways halts flights to Beijing

British Airways (BA) has announced it is scrapping flights between London and Beijing.

The carrier said it was “pausing” its service from the end of October until at least November next year.

Flights to Shanghai and Hong Kong will continue, BA added.

It comes amid weaker demand and a ban on UK flights over Russian airspace, which has resulted in longer journey times on some routes.

Russia’s civil aviation authority introduced the restrictions in February 2022, in retaliation to a British ban on the country’s Aeroflot airline as part of sanctions related to the war in Ukraine.

Luis Gallego, the chief executive of BA’s parent company IAG, also warned earlier this month that the firm’s capacity in Asian markets was “very reduced”.

It is understood that the carrier could eventually resume flights to Beijing and will keep its current decision under review.

In 2016 BA also scrapped flights to the Chinese destination of Chengdu, a city famous for its popular panda research institute, on the grounds it was no longer commercially viable.

A spokesperson for the airline told Sky News: “We will be pausing our route to Beijing from 26 October 2024, 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.”