British Airways is expanding its network and responding to both the Middle East conflict and fuel crisis, and customer demand for “alternative getaways,” in a travel market that, it says, remains strong.
The UK flag carrier revealed its new routes in a press release, highlighting that they represent a nine percent winter schedule expansion year-on-year. New long-haul destinations include Melbourne in Australia and Colombo in Sri Lanka, while capacity is growing on existing, popular routes such as Barbados, Cape Town, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, St Lucia, and Tokyo.
Neil Chernoff, British Airways’ Chief Planning and Strategy Officer, said: ”he was confident the ‘two notable new destinations’ would ‘prove popular with our customers,” adding that the changes, including the capacity growth, “represent a significant investment in our long-haul leisure network, adding even more options and choice for our customers.”
Tickets for the Melbourne route are on sale now, and the schedule begins on 9 January 2027, launching in time for the Australian Open and the Melbourne Grand Prix. Flights will operate year-round from London Heathrow, via Kuala Lumpur, on a daily basis, with return fares starting at £1,130 (including taxes and carrier fees).
Flights to Colombo are also already on sale, and schedules commence on 23 October 2026, operating three times per week from London Gatwick, taking customers directly to one of the Indian Ocean’s most vibrant capitals, with prices from £620 (including taxes and carrier fees).
In response to the Middle East conflict, the airline said it had also added seven additional flights to Bangkok and Singapore in the last week alone and “will continue to review its schedule and add additional flights to destinations as needed.”
The airline’s response to demand comes as customers are seeking alternative holiday destinations in the immediate term. Its tour operator arm, British Airways Holidays, has seen a rise in searches for popular destinations like Antigua and Gran Canaria, which have increased by 63% and 50% respectively, it said.
Interestingly, despite rocky customer sentiment about travel to the United States in the past year, BA is adding four new flights per week to New Orleans, as well as turning its Baltimore operations into a daily occurrence. Flights to and from Houston will also benefit from a capacity boost since flights there will operate 12 times a week.
Despite the current security situation in the Middle East, BA flights from London Heathrow to the UAE capital Abu Dhabi will return for the planned winter schedule, operating daily from 25 October, BA said.
