Many long haul destinations no longer served by British Airways.
Some route suspensions were prompted by economic events such as the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s. Geopolitical events and security concerns have also caused some suspensions, notably Baghdad and Basra.
Many former routes were 1 / 2 / 3 stop flights which are now more economically served by connections on codeshare partners. BA also suspended a large number of former BMED/bmi routes after its acquisition in 2012.
COVID-19, which saw the abrupt retirement of BA’s Boeing 747 fleet, resulted in many routes formerly operated by the Boeing 787 aircraft suspended.
Please see here for the current status of BA’s long haul network and former short haul routes.
Medium and long-haul routes and airports formerly served by BA, excluding franchises and subsidiaries, since its formation in 1974 include:
Quick Links
North America
Canada
Calgary – This route launched in December 2006, initially with a Boeing 767 aircraft. It became a summer seasonal only route in 2019. It did not resume in 2020 due to COVID-19 and was since suspended.
Edmonton – Suspended by BA in 1982.
Montréal Mirabel – Flights transferred to Montréal Trudeau International.
United States Of America
Anchorage – BOAC and BA used to fly to Tokyo via Anchorage. This was known as the “Polar Route”. A copy of the in flight menu from a 1969 flight from London is below.
Charleston – This launched as a twice weekly summer seasonal route from 4 April to 24 October 2019. It did not return in 2020 due to COVID-19 and was since suspended. The flight numbers were BA221 & BA220.
Charlotte – Launched in January 1994, operated from Gatwick using a USAir Boeing 767 in BA livery and operated by USAir crews in BA uniforms.
Detroit – This route was suspended on 30 March 2008.
Fort Lauderdale – This route operated from Gatwick between 6 July 2017 and 7 September 2019.
Oakland – This route operated from Gatwick between 28 March 2017 and 13 October 2018.
San Jose, California – This route operated from Heathrow between 4 May 2016 and 14 October 2023.
Puerto Rico
San Juan
Central & South America
Columbia
Bogota
CUBA
Havana
Venezuela
Caracas
Peru
Lima – This route launched from Gatwick on 4 May 2016. It became a summer seasonal route from 2017. It did not operate in 2020 due to COVID-19 and is now suspended.
Africa
Angola
Luanda – This route was suspended on 9 June 2018. The former flight numbers were BA77 & BA76.
Botswana
Gaborone
Cameroon
Douala
Côte d’Ivoire
Abidjan
Democratic republic of the congo
Kinshasa
Egypt
Luxor
Ethiopia
Addis Ababa – This route was inherited from bmi and suspended on 10 June 2012.
Gambia
Banjul
Liberia
Monrovia – This route was suspended on 6 August 2014.
Libya
Tripoli – This route was suspended in July 2014.
Malawi
Lilongwe
Morocco
Casablanca – This route was inherited from bmi and suspended on 28 October 2012.
Sierra Leone
Freetown – This route was inherited from bmi and suspended on 6 August 2014.
South Africa
Durban – This launched as a non-stop route from London Heathrow on 29 October 2018. It was suspended during COVID-19. The last flight to Heathrow operated on 26 March 2020. The former flight numbers were BA41 & BA40.
Sudan
Khartoum – This route was inherited from bmi and suspended on 1 October 2012.
Tanzania
Dar es Salaam – This route was suspended in 2012.
Uganda
Entebbe – This route was suspended on 3 October 2015. The former flight numbers were BA63 & BA62.
Zambia
Lusaka – This route was suspended on 26 October 2013. The former flight numbers were BA254 & BA255.
Zimbabwe
Harare – This route was suspended on 28 October 2007, in part due to increased operating costs as aircraft fuel had to be trucked from South Africa.
Indian Ocean
The Seychelles – BA returned to The Seychelles with a twice weekly service on 24 March 2018. The route was suspended following COVID-19. The last flight to Heathrow operated on 4 January 2021. The former flight numbers were BA63 & BA62.
The Middle East
Iran
Tehran – This route was inherited from bmi and suspended on 12 October 2012. BA returned to Tehran on 1 September 2016. The route was suspended again from Sunday 23 September 2018. The former flight numbers were BA152 & BA153.
Iraq
Imperial Airways began flights to Basra in 1927 and to Baghdad in 1929. Flights were suspended in March 1987 during the Iran / Iraq war. Flights resumed again in November 1988 to be suspended again in February 1990 in the lead up to the first Gulf war.
Baghdad – Plans were announced in April 2003 to resume services when safe to do so, but these were never realised.
Basra – BA was given permission to fly to Basra in August 2003. BA announced plans to fly twice weekly, via Kuwait, once it was safe to do so, but these were never realised.
Lebanon
Beirut – This route was inherited from bmi. It was officially suspended from 11 May 2020. The last flight to Heathrow operated on 16 March 2020. The flight numbers were BA148 and BA149.
OMAN
Muscat – This route was suspended following COVID-19. The last flight to Heathrow operated on 22 March 2020. The flight numbers were BA79 and BA80.
Saudia Arabia
Dammam – This route was inherited from bmi and suspended on 16 September 2012. BA returned to Dammam as an extension of its service to Bahrain from 1 December 2019. This was since suspended during COVID-19. The last flight to Heathrow via Bahrain operated on 14 March 2020.
Jeddah – This route, along with Riyadh, resumed 29 March 2009 after BA suspended all services to Saudi Arabia in March 2005. It was suspended again during COVID-19. The last flight to Heathrow operated on 14 March 2020. The former flight numbers were BA132 & BA133.
Syria
Damascus – This route was inherited from bmi and suspended on 29 May 2012.
South & Central Asia
Armena
Yerevan – This route was inherited from bmi and suspended on 13 October 2012.
Azerbaijan
Baku – This route was inherited from bmi and suspended on 29 April 2016.
Bangladesh
Dhaka – This route was suspended on 29 March 2009. The former flight numbers were BA145 & BA144.
Georgia
Tbilisi – This route was inherited from bmi and suspended on 31 March 2013.
India
Amritsar – This route was inherited from bmi and suspended on 28 October 2012.
Kolkatta – This route was suspended on 29 March 2009.
Kazakhstan
Almaty – This route was inherited from bmi and suspended on 12 October 2015. The former flight numbers were BA158 & BA159.
Kyrgyzstan
Bishkek – This route was inherited from bmi and suspended on 1 October 2012.
Pakistan
Karachi
Lahore
Sri Lanka
Columbo – This route operated as an extension of BA’s then service from Gatwick to The Maldives and was suspended from 28 March 2015.
The Far East
Greater China
Beijing Capital International – Flights transferred to Beijing Daxing International on Sunday 27 October 2019.
Chengdu – This route launched in September 2013. It was suspended in January 2017 due to poor commercial performance. The last flight to Heathrow operated on 13 January 2017. The flight numbers were BA88 & BA89.
Hong Kong Kai Tak – Flights transferred to Hong Kong International in 1998.
Indonesia
Jakarta – Route suspended circa 1999/2000.
Japan
Nagoya
Osaka – This route was previously operated via Tokyo Narita until October 1998. It was reinstated as a non-stop route on 31 March 2019. It was suspended following COVID-19. The last flight to Heathrow operated on 28 March 2020. uring COVID-19, a number of cargo only flights operated to Osaka. The former flight numbers were BA19 & BA20.
Tokyo Narita – BA consolidated flights to Tokyo at Haneda airport from Saturday 28 March 2020. During COVID-19, a number of cargo only flights operated to Narita.
The Philippines
Manila – This route, which operated via Hong Kong, was suspended in December 2001.
South Korea
Seoul – BA returned to Seoul in December 2012. The route was suspended during COVID-19 when a number of cargo only flights operated. The former flight numbers were BA17 & BA18.
Taiwan
Taipei – This route, which operated via Hong Kong, was suspended in December 2001.
Pacific
Australia
Adelaide
Brisbane – The route, which operated via Singapore, was suspended around 2000/2001, with the Singapore – Brisbane leg handed over to BA’s then joint venture partner Qantas.
Melbourne – The route, which operated via Singapore, was reinstated around 2000/2001 and then suspended again from 25 March 2006.
Perth – The route, which operated via Singapore, was suspended around 2000/2001, with the Singapore – Perth leg handed over to BA’s then joint venture partner Qantas.
New Zealand
Auckland
Christchurch
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