British Airways recently announced that it will suspend its Beijing route starting from October 26, making it the third Western airline to halt flights to China due to the ban on using Russian airspace. The company, a subsidiary of the International Airlines Group, did not provide specific reasons for this decision. However, it is widely known that Western airlines have been forced to take detours to avoid Russian airspace, resulting in longer flight times and increased costs.
This suspension is expected to last until at least November 2025. In fact, British Airways had previously suspended its London-Beijing route for three years during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. It wasn’t until June 2023 that flights resumed, with the company considering the route as one of its most important.
This recent decision to pause flights to Beijing comes on the heels of British Airways reducing its flights between London and Hong Kong, citing the extended flight times and higher costs caused by the airspace ban. Another British airline, Virgin Atlantic, also announced that it would suspend its flights between London Heathrow and Shanghai, which is its only route to China. These changes will allow both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic to allocate their London Heathrow takeoff and landing slots for more profitable routes.
Meanwhile, Chinese carriers have taken advantage of shorter northern routes to Europe and North America, bypassing Russian airspace. For example, British Airways’ Beijing-London flight takes around two-and-a-half hours longer than China Southern’s daily flight on the same route. This discrepancy has given Chinese airlines a cost advantage and a larger share of the international market. Chinese carriers, including China Southern, China Eastern, and Air China, have operated 90 percent of their pre-pandemic international flights, while foreign carriers have only operated 60 percent.
The growth of China’s international traffic has been slower compared to other countries due to a faltering economy and a shift towards domestic travel. Additionally, political tensions have also contributed to the stagnation. However, as pandemic-related restrictions were lifted at the beginning of 2023, there has been a gradual recovery in international travel.
In conclusion, British Airways’ decision to suspend its Beijing route is a result of the ongoing ban on Western airlines using Russian airspace. This has led to longer flight times and increased costs for airlines. Meanwhile, Chinese carriers have taken advantage of shorter routes, gaining a larger share of the international market. The future of international travel to and from China will likely depend on the resolution of political tensions and the recovery of the global economy.
