British Airways announced that it will suspend flights to Beijing starting from October 26, with the suspension expected to last until November 2025. The airline did not provide specific reasons

for this decision, but the move comes amid ongoing challenges faced by European carriers due to restrictions on flying over Russian airspace.

British Airways, which is owned by IAG, confirmed that it will continue its daily flights to Shanghai and Hong Kong. However, the airline did not indicate whether a new route would be introduced to replace the Beijing service.

The ban on flying over Russian airspace has significantly impacted European and British airlines, making flights to Asia longer, more costly, and less attractive to passengers. As a result, these airlines are facing increased competition, particularly from Chinese carriers that are still allowed to fly over Russia.

British Airways had only recently reinstated its Beijing route, just over a year ago, following a hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The recovery of travel between China and Europe has been slow, with Chinese carriers now dominating many of the routes.

Similarly, Virgin Atlantic recently announced that it would be ending its route to Shanghai in October. Other airlines, such as Lufthansa, have reported that competition from Chinese carriers, who can still access Russian airspace, has negatively affected their earnings.

Despite these challenges, IAG has stated that it is not significantly impacted by these issues, as a large portion of its business is focused on North and South America, where demand and bookings remain strong. Photo by BriYYZ, Wikimedia commons.