BA trims Middle East routes, boosts India links
British Airways announced on Thursday that it will scale back its flight operations to several Middle Eastern destinations when services resume, citing ongoing regional tensions that have disrupted air travel demand and operations. The airline also confirmed it will permanently discontinue flights to Jeddah as part of the changes.
The move follows prolonged disruption linked to the escalation of the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, which has resulted in the cancellation of more than 21,000 flights. The conflict has also narrowed available flight corridors for long-haul routes between Europe and Asia, creating operational challenges for international carriers.
British Airways, owned by International Airlines Group (IAG), had already suspended some services when the conflict intensified in late February. Under the revised schedule, the airline plans to reduce flights to Dubai, Doha, and Tel Aviv to one daily service starting July 1. Flights to Riyadh will also be reduced from two per day to one beginning in mid-May.
Aircraft capacity freed up by these reductions will be reassigned to other markets, with the airline introducing an additional daily flight to Bengaluru and Nairobi. Capacity will also be increased on routes to Delhi and Hyderabad, reflecting stronger demand in those regions.
“We’re keeping the situation under constant review and are directly in touch with affected customers to offer them a range of options,” the airline said in a statement.
The revised schedule will remain in place throughout the summer season, which runs until October 24. One Dubai service is scheduled to resume on October 16.
