British Airways cuts 15 long-haul routes including Sydney and Abu Dhabi due to pandemic

British Airways cuts more than 15 long-haul routes due to operate next year including Sydney, Bangkok and Abu Dhabi amid collapse in demand during pandemic

  • Flights to Seoul, Calgary and Kuala Lumpur amongst those that have been cut  
  • Owner IAG had a pre-tax loss of 6.2 billion euros for nine months to September 
  • Passenger numbers not expected to return to 2019 levels until at least 2023

British Airways has cut more than 15 long-haul routes due to operate next year due to collapse in demand during pandemic. 

Destinations dropped by the airline include Seoul, Calgary and Kuala Lumpur after long-haul routes were the worst affected. 

Flights to Sydney, Bangkok, Abu Dhabi and the Seychelles have also been cut. 

Destinations dropped by British Airways include Seoul, Calgary and Kuala Lumpur after long-haul routes were the worst affected (stock image) 

The carrier has been badly hit by the collapse in demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Its owner IAG swung to a pre-tax loss of 6.2 billion euros (£5.6 billion) for the nine months to the end of September.

Plane passenger numbers are not expected to return to 2019 levels until at least 2023.

British Airways said in a statement: ‘We are sorry that, like other airlines, due to the current coronavirus pandemic and global travel restrictions we are operating a reduced and dynamic schedule.

‘We will be in touch with any customers whose flights are affected and advise customers to check ba.com for the latest flight information.’

Customers with affected bookings can apply for a full refund or will be offered an alternative itinerary where possible.

The carrier has been badly hit by the collapse in demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic with passenger numbers not expected to return to 2019 levels until 2023 (stock image)

 The carrier has been badly hit by the collapse in demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic with passenger numbers not expected to return to 2019 levels until 2023 (stock image) 

This comes after the last British Airways 747 took off one final time last week before being retired due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. 

The jumbo jet – the last in BA’s 31-strong fleet – took to the skies for a short, four-mile flight from Cardiff airport, and landed in St Athan, Vale of Glamorgan.

Its last passenger flight was from San Francisco to Heathrow in April, with its retirement brought forward several years as a consequence of the pandemic.