With the war that resulted after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 now edging into its third year, Western airlines face major challenges around not being able to fly in airspace over Russia, a country that spans more than 6.6 million square miles.
Earlier this year, Virgin Atlantic (SPCE) cited “significant challenges and complexities” as the reason it will run its last flight between London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) and Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport (PVG) in October 2024.
U.S. airlines such as Delta Air Lines (DAL) and United (UAL) continue to run a certain number of flights to Beijing and Shanghai but have also faced significant delays to restore routes first cut during the pandemic amid both flying challenges and escalating political tensions between the two countries.
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But while U.S. airlines were less impacted by the Russian airspace ban as they generally fly in the other direction across the Pacific Ocean, British ones face a much bigger and costlier detour. This week, the country’s flagship carrier British Airways announced that it would be canceling its flight between London and Beijing in October.
‘We continue to operate daily flights to Shanghai and Hong Kong’
Currently running four times a week on a Boeing 777-200ER (BA) , the 5,106-mile London-Beijing route was re-introduced in June 2023 after a three-year hiatus during the covid-19 pandemic.
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“We will be pausing our route to Beijing from 26 October, and we’re contacting any affected customers with rebooking options or to offer them a full refund,” British Airways said in a press statement that does not get into the reasons for the cut. “We continue to operate daily flights to Shanghai and Hong Kong.”
The detour of flying toward countries like Turkey and Azerbaijan to not pass through Russian airspace has been increasing fuel costs to the point that it is no longer a feasible route despite high demand.
British travel website Head for Points, which was the first to report on British Airways’ decision, phrased it as “why bother when you can send the same plane to the U.S. instead, where demand for premium cabins remains sky-high?”
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When it comes to flights to China, British airlines face a number of competitors
There is also competition from Chinese airlines which, due to the alliance between the two countries, are able to use Russian airspace and offer those who fly between the United Kingdom and China a more competitive rate.
In March 2024, Air China (AICAF) added three new routes to the United States — two additional flights between Beijing and New York and one more between Beijing and Los Angeles — which it followed by resuming a flight between Beijing and London’s Gatwick Airport (LGW) in June.
As of June, China’s main airline had 62 different routes to different parts of the United Kingdom — far above anything British Airways ever offered.
“We are tremendously excited to welcome the service to Beijing,” London Gatwick Airport Chief Commercial Airport Jonathan Pollard said at the time. “Beijing is certainly a key target for us to provide those really important travel and trade links between the United Kingdom and China.”
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