British Airways to stop flights to Sydney and Abu Dhabi amid Covid downturn
British Airways is axing its direct flights to more than a dozen destinations, including Sydney and Abu Dhabi, as it trims its schedules due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The UK flag carrier will cut non-stop flights to 13 destinations from the summer, with others to be suspended for six months.
From the beginning of March, BA will no longer serve Charleston and Pittsburgh in the US, or Calgary in Canada.
It will also cut flights to Dammam in Saudi Arabia, Durban in South Africa, as well as destinations such as Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, and Osaka in Malaysia and Japan.
Lima, Muscat, Jeddah and the Seychelles will all also be dropped from schedules from the beginning of the season.
Flights to Sydney and Abu Dhabi will be restored at the end of October, the carrier said, along with flights to Silicon Valley gateway San Jose.
A spokesperson for BA said: “We are sorry that, like other airlines, due to the current Coronavirus pandemic and global travel restrictions we are operating a reduced and dynamic schedule.
“We will be in touch with any customers whose flights are affected and advise customers to check ba.com for the latest flight information.”
Paul Charles of travel firm the PC Agency said that the cuts were a “sign of the times”.
Long haul carriers such as BA have been battered by the pandemic, which has forced them to cancel many of their most lucrative routes.