British Airways has 12 Airbus A380s in its fleet. The airline is progressively restoring the aircraft to service. It is currently flying to Dubai, Johannesburg and Miami.
British Airways Airbus A380 at take off, London Heathrow (Image Credit: Heathrow)
British Airways is to reinstate Airbus A380 flights from London Heathrow to Washington Dulles from Sunday 27 March 2022.
The airline has today, Friday 10 December 2021, updated its timetables.
The Airbus A380 will operate daily on flights BA293 and BA292 between Heathrow and Washington from Sunday 27 March to Saturday 29 October 2022.
BA is also due to reinstate further Airbus A380 routes to North America in the summer of 2022.
The return of the A380 to San Francisco has been postponed from 27 March 2022 to Sunday 1 May. It has also swapped from flights BA285 & BA284 to BA287 & BA286.
British Airways Airbus A380 at take off, London Heathrow (Image Credit: Heathrow)
British Airways is to reintroduce the Airbus A380 aircraft into service at London Heathrow.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, BA’s fleet of 12 Airbus A380 aircraft have been grounded.
BA CEO Sean Doyle previously indicated that the aircraft would be reintroduced to the US in late 2021. Though, there were doubts this could happen due to uncertainty over when the US would lift travel restrictions.
BA has now confirmed that 4 aircraft will be brought back into service to operate long haul flights from early December.
Short Haul Flights
The Airbus A380 will operate short haul return flights from London Heathrow in November to allow for crew familiarisation.
BA has not officially confirmed on which routes these will operate though it is widely reported to be a morning return flight to Frankfurt and an afternoon return flight to Madrid.
The A380 is not currently appearing in online timetables and it may be they are only loaded shortly beforehand.
It is also likely that BA will limit the number of seats sold on these flights in case aircraft have to be substituted at the last minute.
With the arrival of the Airbus A350, the A380 has been superseded as one of the most popular aircraft in BA’s fleet, particularly for passengers flying in Club World.
However, BA’s critical mass of 12 Airbus A380 is still the preferred choice of aircraft on many routes it operates from London Heathrow.
Here’s our guide to where the Airbus A380 is due to fly in 2020. The one significant change from previous years is that the A380 no longer flies to Miami and there appear be no plans to reintroduce the aircraft to this route.
Please note that schedules are subject to change throughout the course of the year. Aircraft can also be substituted at short notice due to unforeseen circumstances. Flights are now on sale at ba.com
Update August 2020: Due to Coronavirus (COVID-19), BA’s schedules are significantly reduced until the end of 2020. BA’s Airbus A380 fleet is currently grounded and four Airbus A380 aircraft will be placed into storage for up to three years. The information below can no longer be relied upon for flights in 2020.
Boston
One of BA’s four daily flights from London Heathrow and Boston, flights BA213 & BA212, will be operated with the A380 for the summer season from Monday 30 March 2020 to Saturday 24 October 2020.
Chicago O’Hare
The BA A380 will fly to Chicago O’Hare daily on flights BA297 & BA296 for the summer season from Sunday 29 March 2020 to Saturday 24 October 2020.
Hong Kong
BA flies the A380 on one of its two daily flights between London Heathrow and Hong Kong, flights BA27 & BA28.
From Sunday 29 March 2020 until Saturday 24 October 2020, the two flights are swap and BA31 & BA32 will be operated with the A380. It then swaps back to BA27 & BA28.
However, as BA31 & BA32 are cancelled until Sunday 31 May 2020, flights BA27 & BA28 will continue to operate with the A380 until Monday 1 June 2020.
BA’s fleet of 12 Airbus A380 aircraft continues to serve the airline well on major gateways from London Heathrow.
At least until BA and Virgin Atlantic take delivery of the Airbus A350, it one of the better ways to fly direct across the Atlantic from London.
Here’s our guide to where you can fly the BA Airbus A380 throughout 2019.
Please note that schedules are subject to change in the medium term. Aircraft can also be substituted at short notice due to maintenance requirements. Flights are now on sale at ba.com
Boston
One of BA’s four daily flights from London Heathrow and Boston, flights BA213 & BA212, will be operated with the A380 for the summer season from Sunday 31 March 2019 to Saturday 26 October 2019. It is currently scheduled to return on Sunday 29 March 2020.
Chicago O’Hare
The BA A380 will fly to Chicago O’Hare daily on flights BA297 & BA296 for the summer season from Sunday 31 March 2019 to Saturday 26 October 2019. It is currently scheduled to return on Sunday 29 March 2020.
Dubai
Due to the closure of the Southern runway in Dubai, from Tuesday 16 April 2019 to Saturday 4 May 2019, BA will operate the A380 to Dubai for the first time, on flights BA107 and BA106.
Hong Kong
BA flies the A380 on one of its two daily flights between London Heathrow and Hong Kong, flights BA27 & BA28.
Bar occasional swaps, the remaining flight, BA31 & BA32, is operated with a Boeing 777-300 aircraft.
From Sunday 31 March 2019 until Saturday 26 October 2019, the two flights swap and BA31 & BA32 will be operated with the A380. It then swaps back to BA27 & BA28.
To confuse matters further, BA27 & BA28 will swap flight numbers with BA31 & BA32 from Sunday 29 March 2020.
Where will BA’s fleet of Airbus A380 aircraft fly to in 2019? Here’s our guide to when the Airbus 380 will fly to Boston, Chicago O’Hare, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, Singapore and Vancouver.
BA’s fleet of 12 Airbus A380 aircraft is a minnow compared to Emirates’ fleet of 101 aircraft.
They may also not have the on board bars and showers of Emirates. However, BA is the only operator of the Airbus A380 direct from London across to North America. It is by far the best aircraft to fly across the Atlantic, compared to the quartet of Boeing 747, 767, 777, and 787 widebodies that ply across the Atlantic daily.
So here’s our guide to where you can fly the BA Airbus A380 throughout 2018 and into early 2019.
Please note that schedules are subject to change due to operational requirements. Aircraft can also be substituted at very short notice due to unexpected maintenance requirements. Flights are now on sale at ba.com
British Airways Airbus A380 at take off, London Heathrow (Image Credit: Heathrow)
British Airways is to fly its Airbus A380 aircraft to Chicago O’Hare from Tuesday 8 May 2018.
This will be the first time the BA A380 has flown to Chicago. BA will continue to fly to Chicago twice daily.
Currently, the route is operated by the Boeing 747 and 777. The A380 will be a significant upgrade over the albeit recent refurbished Boeing 747s which will continue to ply this route, particularly with regard to seating in premium economy and First Class.
A380 flights to Chicago are on sale now at ba.com. Please note that the operation of the A380 may be subject to seasonal adjustments.
The BA A380 currently operates on selected flights to Boston, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Los Angeles, Singapore, Vancouver and Washington. It also operates to Miami in the winter months and Vancouver in the summer.
The latest addition to BA’s A380 network will be sourced from aircraft servicing its existing network. BA has taken delivery of all twelve A380s it has ordered from Airbus.
The airline has options to purchase a further seven aircraft from Airbus but has not exercised them. Willie Walsh, CEO of BA’s parent company International Airlines Group, has expressed an interest in leasing second hand A380s for BA and possibly other IAG group airlines, but nothing has come of this.
BA London Heathrow – Chicago O’Hare
Flight BA295 Depart London Heathrow 10:50 – Arrive Chicago O’Hare 13:25 (Airbus A380)
Flight BA297 Depart London Heathrow 16:05 – Arrive Chicago O’Hare 18:4O (Boeing 747)
Flight BA294 Depart Chicago O’Hare 17:30 – Arrive London Heathrow 07:20 (Airbus A380)
Flight BA296 Depart Chicago O’Hare 20:40 – Arrive London Heathrow 10:25 (Boeing 747) (Excluding Fridays)
Flight BA296 Depart Chicago O’Hare 20:50 – Arrive London Heathrow 10:35 (Boeing 747) (Fridays Only)
Update: Since the announcement the Airbus A380 has switched to flights BA297 / BA296. The launch date also changed to Friday 4 May 2018.
British Airways Airbus A380 at take off, London Heathrow (Image Credit: Heathrow)
Vancouver is to join BA’s roster of Airbus A380 destinations from 1 May 2016 until 2 October 2016 as one of its daily flights to the Canadian city will be upgraded from a Boeing 747 to an Airbus A380:
Flight BA085 Depart London Heathrow 17:15 – Arrive Vancouver 18:40
Flight BA084 Depart Vancouver 20:50 – Arrive London Heathrow 14:00
This does mark the end of, temporarily at least, BA Boeing 747 services to Vancouver. The service will revert back to a daily Boeing 747 from 2 October 2016. There is no doubt that the Airbus A380 is a significant upgrade over the Boeing 747 in all aspects, particularly with regard to seating in World Traveller Plus, in-flight entertainment aircraft condition and overall cabin comfort.
Other BA A380 destinations include selected flights to Los Angeles, Washington, Johannesburg, Hong Kong, Singapore, San Francisco and, from 25 October 2015, Miami.
For passengers looking to book specific A380 services we should note that schedules are subject to change and aircraft can also be substituted at short notice.
Update January 2018:
The Airbus A380 is next due to operate on this route from Tuesday 1 May 2018 to Sunday 30 September 2018. The route continues to otherwise operates with a Boeing 747.
South Beach, Miami (Image Credit: London Air Travel)
British Airways has confirmed that its London Heathrow – Miami route will be served exclusively by the Airbus A380 from Sunday 25 October 2015.
The A380 will operate twice daily, replacing up to three daily Boeing 747/777 flights.
The A380 currently operates on selected flights to Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Los Angeles, Singapore, Washington, and, from April 2015, San Francisco.
There’s more information on BA’s A380 operations at ba.com. As this announcement has been made nearly a year in advance, we should sound a note of caution that further changes could be announced in the interim.
BA flights from London Heathrow to Miami are also due to move from London Heathrow Terminal 5 to 3 from 14 October 2015.
Update January 2018:
BA now operates one of two daily flights to Miami (BA208 / BA209) with the Airbus A380 in the winter season until Monday 30 April 2018. The route then operates with a Boeing 747 twice daily until Saturday 27 October 2018. The A380 then returns on Sunday 28 October 2018.
British Airways lounge at Washington Dulles International Airport (Image Credit: British Airways)
British Airways completed its inaugural Airbus A380 flight from London Heathrow to Washington today, 2 October 2014, as flight BA217 arrived in Washington Dulles airport early this afternoon.
The launch of A380 services also coincides with the opening of a new “Galleries” lounge for business and first class passengers in Washington.
The lounge features a private dining area for First Class customers, pre-flight dining for Club World passengers, a bar with views of the airfield and shower suites.
Washington is the 2nd US city to be served by BA’s A380. San Francisco will be the next US city. BA also flies the A380 to Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Johannesburg. The A380 will also fly to Singapore from the end of October 2014.
The inaugural British Airways’ A380 arrives at Washington Dulles International Airport, Virginia, USA on 2 October 2014 (Image Credit: British Airways)
Seating at British Airways lounge at Washington Dulles International Airport (Image Credit: British Airways)
Pre-flight dining at British Airways lounge at Washington Dulles International Airport (Image Credit: British Airways)
Pre-flight dining at British Airways lounge at Washington Dulles (Image Credit: British Airways)
