After a four-year break, British Airways is continuing to expand its reach in the Middle East, with plans to serve Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
The route is available to book, with it commencing operations on 20 April 2024, serving the UAE’s capital on a year-round basis from London Heathrow.
The planned timings are as follows:
|
Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) from London Heathrow (LHR) |
||||||
|
Season |
Flight number |
Departing LHR |
Arriving AUH |
Flight number |
Departing AUH |
Arriving LHR |
|
Summer ‘24 |
BA73 |
22:25 |
08:30+1 |
BA72 |
10:10 |
15:20 |
|
Winter ‘24 |
BA73 |
22:25 |
09:30+1 |
BA72 |
11:10 |
15:20 |
The route is planned to operate with a Boeing 787-9 in Summer 2024. It will complement the London-Heathrow to Dubai route the airline which will operate up to three times daily.
The airline has launched lead-in pricing for those in search of a bargain, split as:
- £449 in World Traveller (economy)
- £1,999 in Club World (business class),
The discount prices are available to book before 12 November 2023. British Airways Executive Club Members will be able to purchase Reward Seats from £100 + 50,000 Avios.
British Airways Holidays will offer package holidays on this route as well, with deposits starting from £60 per person, with ATOL protection, a 24-hour helpline and 23kg baggage
In Quotes
Neil Chernoff, British Airways’ Director of Network and Alliances, said:
“Abu Dhabi is a unique destination that is making a very welcome return to our network. With a blend of beach, city and desert, it has everything our customers are looking for in a Middle Eastern trip, and we look forward to welcoming them back on board as we grow our footprint in the UAE.”
Maureen Bannerman, Abu Dhabi Airport’s Chief Commercial Officer, said:
“We’re delighted to welcome British Airways back to Abu Dhabi International Airport, adding to the growing list of leading carriers set to use Terminal A as their operational base in Abu Dhabi.
A luxurious new gateway to Abu Dhabi, Terminal A will open to the public from November 1st, offering state-of-the-art facilities for both passengers and airlines.”
Return to a route
Abu Dhabi is dominated by Etihad Airways, which operates four flights a day between it and Heathrow. But for British Airways, this is filling in import spots in its network that have been missing for various reasons – providing options who wish to connect via London and travel onward as needed via BA’s European and Americas networks.
And sometimes, there are reasons to select one airline over another – be it a corporate contract, cost, or ease of connections.
With British Airways deploying its four-class 787-9 on this route, it is going after premium traffic, rather than holiday traffic.
It’ll be interesting to see how this route performs in the longer term.
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