British Airways unveils 6 new long-haul routes from London: Explore them now

British Airways Expands Long-Haul Network with New Routes and Increased Frequencies

British Airways (BA) continues to solidify its position as the leading long-haul airline operating from the United Kingdom. Between July 2026 and March 2027, the oneworld alliance carrier plans an average of 94 daily departures from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and London Gatwick Airport (LGW). This represents a 5% increase in long-haul activity compared to the same period in 2025–2026, which is notable for an airline that operates in a highly competitive and mature market.

Despite facing significant slot shortages at LHR, BA has managed to adjust its network and optimize frequencies on certain routes. This strategic approach will result in 6% more long-haul flights departing from the UK’s busiest airport. The airline is set to introduce six new long-haul routes, some of which have already been announced.

New Routes and Route Adjustments

Among the six new routes, three originate from LHR and three from LGW. Two of these routes will involve a shift in the departure airport: LGW flights to San José Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) in Costa Rica and Tampa International Airport (TPA) will move to LHR. While the destinations remain unchanged, this change marks the first time LHR will offer scheduled flights to Costa Rica and Central America.

After a four-year absence, BA will reintroduce flights from LHR to Orlando International Airport (MCO). This route will only operate during the UK school holidays. When combined with Virgin Atlantic’s LHR-MCO services, the airport pair could see up to three daily departures in July and August 2026—this would be the joint-highest number of daily departures on record for this route.

Flights from LHR to Costa Rica

The switch of SJO flights from LGW to LHR is particularly significant. Given LHR’s strict slot constraints and high fees, it’s a positive development for passengers seeking direct access to Costa Rica.

Previously, BA operated three weekly flights from LGW using Boeing 777-200ERs configured for 332 seats, with limited premium seating. From LHR, the airline will now operate five weekly flights on the 204-seat Boeing 787-8. This aircraft features 31 Club World suites, 37 World Traveller Plus seats, and 136 World Traveller seats. Approximately 15% of the capacity is allocated to business class, compared to less than 10% on the LGW-configured 777-200ERs.

In 2025, BA transported 34,701 round-trip passengers between LGW and SJO. According to Cirium Diio data, this route filled only 79.2% of available seats. Overall, BA captured about a third of the London-SJO market (104,000 passengers). While LHR had a larger market (about 60,000 passengers), the airline aims to achieve a price premium for its nonstop service and offer competitive five-weekly flights.

By switching to LHR, BA will also capture more connecting passengers, which should help improve the load factor, which was relatively low on the previous LGW-based service.

Return to Sri Lanka

Another key route BA is reviving is Colombo, Sri Lanka. Last year, 362,000 round-trip passengers traveled between London and Colombo, averaging over 900 daily travelers. However, this market is primarily driven by leisure demand and those visiting friends and relatives, making it a lower-yielding segment.

Over half of the passengers flew via Gulf hubs, such as Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Doha, or Dubai International Airport (DXB). With the ongoing conflict in Iran, passenger confidence in connecting through these hubs has declined. If this trend continues, BA and SriLankan Airlines may benefit from increased demand for direct flights.

The two airlines plan to operate 12 weekly nonstop services from London in the upcoming winter. BA will provide three weekly services from LGW using the 332-seat Boeing 777-200ER, while SriLankan Airlines will operate nine weekly flights from LHR using the 297-seat Airbus A330-300. According to Cirium data, this will represent the highest-ever number of nonstop flights between London and Colombo.