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Welcome to our guide to BA long haul aircraft at London Gatwick & Heathrow.
Here you’ll find details of BA’s plans for new aircraft deliveries and refurbishments.
Fleet Summary
Here is a summary of BA’s long haul fleet as at June 2026:
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BA’s widebody fleet is still below pre COVID-19 levels, at 131 aircraft, compared to 135 before. This will continue until at least 2027.
Aircraft Refurbishments
By the end of 2026 BA expects around 75% of aircraft at Heathrow to be fitted with the “Club Suite” business class cabin.
This refurbishment of Boeing 777 and 787-8 aircraft are complete.
The refurbishment of Airbus A380 & Boeing 787-9 aircraft has now started. The first refurbished Boeing 787-9 aircraft has entered into service and the first refurbished Airbus A380 should enter into service before the end of 2026. Realistically, these are likely to run in 2026 before all Heathrow based aircraft are fitted with the Club Suite.
Starlink Wi-Fi
The majority of BA’s long haul fleet is equipped with Wi-Fi. Details of how to connect and charges are available on ba.com.
BA has started to upgrade long-haul aircraft to high speed Starlink Wi-Fi. The rollout across all of BA’s short-haul and long-haul fleet is expected to take two years.
BA’s parent company IAG says adoption of Starling Wi-Fi is very high, with some flights having more than one connected device per passenger.
Here’s a breakdown of the different types of aircraft in BA’s long haul fleet:
Airbus A350-1000
BA has 18 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft.
These Airbus A350s are in a three class configuration, with no First Class. There are 56 Club Suite seats, 56 World Traveller Plus seats, and 219 World Traveller seats.
In March 2025, BA ordered an additional 6 aircraft to be delivered between 2028 and 2029. The airline has options for 12 more aircraft.
Please see here for details of the Club World cabin and here for internal and external pictures of the Airbus A350-1000 aircraft.
Airbus A380
BA has 12 Airbus A380s.
BA has started to refurbish A380 aircraft to add a new First Class cabin, the Club Suite, and new World Traveller Plus and World Traveller seating.
Passengers in all cabins will also benefit from larger in-flight entertainment screens, wireless Bluetooth connectivity and USB-C charging points.
The refurbishment programme is likely to run well into 2028.
Unlike at present where the Club World cabin is split between the main and upper decks, the larger 106 seat Club World will be on the upper deck only.
The new Club World cabin features a refreshed Club Suite with new finishes and colour palette as well as modified seat storage and functionality.
The refurbished aircraft will feature a new larger 84 seat World Traveller Plus cabin with new seats featuring privacy wings. The World Traveller cabin will be reduced in size to 215 seats.
Boeing 777-200ER
BA has 43 Boeing 777-200ER aircraft.
BA has refurbished all Boeing 777-200ER aircraft at Heathrow. This included a reduction of First Class seats on four class aircraft from 14 to 8, the installation of the Club Suite and 10 abreast seating in World Traveller.
This is currently the only long haul aircraft operated at Gatwick.
Before COVID-19 BA refurbished Gatwick based Boeing 777-200s. This increased seating in World Traveller from 9 to 10 abreast, reduced the size of Club World and increased the size of World Traveller Plus.
There are no plans to fit the Club Suite to Gatwick Boeing 777 aircraft – though these will occasionally rotate with Heathrow based aircraft.
Please see here for images of the refurbished aircraft.
As many of BA’s Boeing 777 aircraft are nearly 30 years’ old, these aircraft are likely to be retired after 2027.
Boeing 777-300ER
BA has 16 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
All operate in a four class configuration at Heathrow. These feature a modified 8 seat First Class cabin, and the Club Suite.
Boeing 777-9
BA has 24 Boeing 777-9 aircraft on order, with options for a further 9 aircraft.
The first aircraft is expected to be delivered in 2028.
These will operate in a four class configuration with 325 seats and feature a new First Class cabin, similar that being installed on the Airbus A380.
Boeing 787-8
BA has 12 Boeing 787-8 aircraft.
The retrofit its Club Suite to Boeing 787-8 aircraft is now complete.
Boeing 787-9
BA has 18 787-9 aircraft.
These aircraft operate in a four class configuration, with an 8 seat First Class cabin.
BA has started to retrofit its Club Suite to Boeing 787-9 aircraft, together with a new World Traveller Plus seat.
Boeing 787-10
BA has 12 Boeing 787-10 aircraft, with 38 on order and options for 10 aircraft.
All aircraft should be delivered by the end of 2033. This will make the Boeing 787-10 the single largest aircraft type at the airline, with 50 aircraft. BA has options for 10 further 787-10 aircraft.
The aircraft is currently configured in four classes with 8 seats in First Class, 48 Club Suite seats in business class, 35 seats in World Traveller Plus and 156 seats in World Traveller. The First Class seat is the same as on Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
New aircraft will also be delivered at Gatwick from 2029 to replace Boeing 777-200 aircraft. It is highly likely these will not feature First Class.