British Airways to Suspend Beijing Flights

British Airways announced on Thursday that it will suspend its flights to Beijing from October 26, 2024, until November 2025.

The airline, a subsidiary of International Airlines Group (IAG), did not specify the reasons behind this decision. The move comes as European airlines continue to struggle with the disruption caused by the Russian airspace ban.

Despite halting flights to Beijing, British Airways will maintain its daily services to Shanghai and Hong Kong. The airline has not indicated whether it will introduce an alternative route to replace the Beijing service.

The suspension reflects ongoing challenges faced by European and British airlines, which are unable to fly over Russian airspace.

This restriction results in longer flight times and increased costs, making routes to Asia less appealing to travelers.

British Airways had only recently reinstated its Beijing route after a hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lufthansa and other airlines have noted that competition from Chinese carriers, which are permitted to use Russian airspace, has adversely affected their revenue on routes shared with these competitors.