Russia airspace ban forces BA to drop China flights

British Airways (BA) has announced the suspension of its flights to Beijing starting in October, a decision influenced by the airline's struggles with increased operational costs and longer flight routes due to the ban on Western airlines flying over Russian airspace. This restriction, imposed following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, has forced airlines to reroute, resulting in extended travel times and higher expenses for fuel and crew. Despite previously considering the Heathrow to Beijing route as one of its most significant, BA's Chief Financial Officer Nicholas Cadbury revealed in a recent investor call that the airline is experiencing "weak demand" in the Chinese market. Consequently, BA has decided to halt its Beijing flights until November 2025, although it will continue to monitor the situation and may adjust schedules accordingly. In addition to the suspension of Beijing flights, BA is also reducing its operations in Hong Kong by cutting one of its two daily flights, while maintaining its service to Shanghai. The overall air traffic between Europe and China has been slow to rebound since the pandemic, with Chinese airlines capturing a larger share of the market. Virgin Atlantic has also faced similar challenges, announcing the cancellation of its flights to Shanghai, citing "significant challenges and complexities" that have impacted its operations. The airline noted that flight durations have increased, with journeys to Shanghai taking about an hour longer and return flights to London taking two hours longer.