British Airways ‘Pauses’ Beijing Route

British Airways said Thursday that it would "pause" service between London Heathrow and Beijing effective Oct. 26, 2024.

Ryan Ewing

Thursday, August 08, 2024 at 11:43 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

A British Airways Boeing 777 at London Heathrow. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Key Takeaways:

British Airways is the latest airline to scale back service to China. The carrier said Thursday that it would “pause” service between London Heathrow and Beijing effective Oct. 26, 2024.

According to the Financial Times, the IAG-owned airline expects to suspend the route for at least a year. British Airways’ service to Beijing Daxing currently operates four times per week on a Boeing 777-200.

The London-based carrier will continue to serve Shanghai and Hong Kong. Last year, British Airways resumed service to both Beijing and Shanghai after a nearly three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Western airlines continue to face woes in the Chinese market, largely due to the closure of Russian airspace. Flights are forced to deviate around the airspace, which extends block times.

Last month, Virgin Atlantic announced plans to axe its only China route, citing these airspace constraints. The carrier served the market since 1999.

Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com in February 2013 and has spent more than a decade covering the airline business. His work has been featured by CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. His aviation experience spans airport operations, Part 135 regulatory compliance, and airline crew workforce planning, along with time behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 and interviews with airline executives. Ryan now serves as Group President of Firecrown Media’s Aviation Group. He holds a B.S. in Air Transportation Management and an MBA from Arizona State University and teaches Airline Management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.