British Airways (BA) has removed seven international long-haul routes from its network over the past 18 months, reflecting a broader strategy to concentrate operations at London Heathrow Airport (LHR), the world’s busiest airport that might get its third runway. Most of the affected services previously operated from London Gatwick Airport (LGW), with the airline shifting capacity toward Heathrow to strengthen connectivity and optimize fleet deployment.
According to OAG schedule data, British Airways is set to operate 93 daily long-haul departures to 77 destinations across 40 countries between July and December 2026. That represents a 3% increase compared with the same period in 2025, despite the recent route cuts. The airline’s largest long-haul markets remain the United States, India, and Canada, which together account for nearly two-thirds of its intercontinental network.
British Airways Refines Long-Haul Network
An analysis of British Airways’ schedules between January 2025 and June 2026, compared with its timetable for the second half of 2026, shows that the airline has permanently withdrawn seven long-haul routes.
Five of the discontinued services originated from Gatwick, while the remaining two operated from Heathrow.
The airline says these adjustments are part of its ongoing network planning process, which considers passenger demand, aircraft availability, operating costs, and commercial performance. By concentrating more long-haul flying at Heathrow, British Airways can offer additional frequencies, improve onward connections through its largest hub, and deploy aircraft more efficiently.
The comparison does not include routes that remain temporarily suspended because of geopolitical tensions involving Iran. It also excludes the temporary Heathrow-Bangkok service that operated earlier in 2026 to provide additional nonstop capacity before ending as planned.
Five Gatwick Services Discontinued
The first major change came in January 2025 when British Airways ended flights between Gatwick and Cape Town. The South African destination continues to be served from Heathrow, while low-cost competitor Norse Atlantic Airways entered the Gatwick-Cape Town market later that year.
Two months later, the airline also dropped its Gatwick-Aruba service, which had operated via Antigua since its launch approximately two years earlier.
October 2025 brought further consolidation. British Airways discontinued flights from Gatwick to New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), shifting capacity to Heathrow, where passengers have access to a much larger connecting network. Delta Air Lines (DL), which is one of the three biggest airline in the world, and JetBlue Airways (B6) have also exited the Gatwick-JFK market.
The fifth Gatwick route to be removed was San José, Costa Rica (SJO), with services ending in March 2026 after a decade of operations from the airport.
However, Costa Rica is not disappearing from the British Airways network. Beginning in October 2026, the airline will launch Heathrow-San José flights five times a week using the Boeing 787-8. The move increases weekly frequencies from three to five and marks British Airways’ first scheduled Heathrow service to Costa Rica, as well as its first Heathrow route into Central America.
Heathrow Loses Two Destinations
While Heathrow gained several former Gatwick routes, it also lost two long-standing destinations.
British Airways ended flights to Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) in April 2026. The Saudi Arabian route had returned in 2024 after a four-year suspension but remained in operation for only two years.
The airline has historically deployed multiple aircraft types on the route, including the Boeing 747-400, Boeing 767-300ER, Boeing 777-200ER, and several Boeing 787 variants.
Industry observers believe premium demand on the Jeddah route lagged behind that of Riyadh, prompting British Airways to focus its Saudi Arabian operations on the capital. Once regional disruptions ease, the airline intends to restore twice-daily Heathrow-Riyadh flights later this year.
Kuwait Flights End After Six Decades
British Airways also withdrew its Heathrow-Kuwait (KWI) service in March 2025, bringing to a close more than 60 years of continuous operations on the route.
The airline operated one daily flight, competing against Kuwait Airways, which offered two to three daily services with larger Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The Heathrow-Kuwait route reportedly relied heavily on connecting passengers and generated weaker yields than other long-haul markets, making it increasingly difficult to sustain.
Jazeera Airways has announced plans to launch daily flights between Kuwait and London Luton Airport (LTN), although the start of those services has been delayed.
BA’s Capacity Continues to Grow
Although British Airways has removed seven international routes, the airline’s overall long-haul operation continues to expand.
The carrier is increasing capacity on stronger-performing markets while focusing more operations at Heathrow, where additional frequencies and better connecting opportunities can improve both passenger convenience and commercial performance.
With 93 daily long-haul departures planned through the end of 2026, British Airways is continuing to prioritize destinations that generate stronger demand, higher premium traffic, and better long-term returns, even as it reshapes parts of its global network.