British Airways is following Virgin Atlantic, with the airline returning to China after an absence of two years.
British Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner – Image, Economy Class and Beyond
From 23 April, flights will operate daily between London Heathrow and Shanghai Pudong International Airport. Meanwhile, from 3 June, flights will operate four times per week between London Heathrow and Beijing Daxing Airport.
The planned operation is listed below:
| Flight Number | Day of week | Departure Airport | Departure Time | Arrival Airport | Arrival Time | |
| London-Shanghai from 23rd April 2023 Boeing 787 (Three Class) |
||||||
| BA169 | Daily | London Heathrow | 12:25 | Shanghai Pudong | 07:55+1 | |
| BA168 | Daily | Shanghai Pudong | 11:00 | London Heathrow | 18:25 | |
| London-Beijing from 3rd June 2023 Boeing 777 (Three Class) |
||||||
| BA89 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Sat | London Heathrow | 15:05 | Beijing Daxing | 09:35+1 | |
| BA88 | Tue, Wed, Fri, Sun | Beijing Daxing | 11:20 | London Heathrow | 1:730 | |
The airline advises that the London to Shanghai service is effective between 23rd April and 3rd June 2023 and is subject to operational change and regulatory approval. Please check ba.com for the latest updates.
Tickets have been placed on sale for the routes and are available through the British Airways site and other ticketing sources, with Club World, World Traveller Plus and World Traveller seating options available.
In Quotes
Noella Ferns, British Airways’ Head of Sales, Asia Pacific, said:
“We can’t wait to welcome our customers back on board our flights from Shanghai and Beijing. We know they’ve been looking forward to reuniting with family and friends, coming to study in the UK and resuming business between China and the UK. We have an incredibly rich history of flying to mainland China, having connected the two countries for more than 40 years. We look forward to resuming these routes again.”
Remaking connections
To Fly, To Connect – British Airways Crew Image – British Airways.
British Airways first flew to China in 1980 and continued to do so until the pandemic. The airline has been working hard to reintroduce these important routes to enable customers to reunite with family and friends.
With entry regulations easing and travel demand increasing, airlines will be seeking to connect passengers and capture traffic, especially with the summer season rearing its head.
With the European network as well as connections to China, the British Airways option could be useful for some passengers.
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