British Airways is resuming service to Melbourne, Australia, for the first time in 20 years, with daily flights starting January 9, 2027, from London Heathrow via Kuala Lumpur. The year-round route deploys Boeing 787-9 aircraft featuring four cabins: World Traveller, World Traveller Plus, Club World, and First. Flight BA33 departs Heathrow at 9:10 p.m., arrives Kuala Lumpur at 6:05 p.m. the next day, then continues to Melbourne at 6:40 a.m. two days after departure. The return BA34 leaves Melbourne at 4:35 p.m., reaches Kuala Lumpur at 9:35 p.m., and arrives Heathrow at 5:20 a.m. Return fares start at £1,130 including taxes; bookings open March 17, 2026.
Concurrently, British Airways launches seasonal flights to Colombo, Sri Lanka, from London Gatwick on October 23, 2026, operating Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays through winter. BA2045 departs Gatwick at 5:30 p.m., arriving Colombo at 9:00 a.m. next day; BA2044 returns at 11:00 a.m., landing Gatwick at 5:00 p.m. Aircraft offer three cabins: World Traveller, World Traveller Plus, and Club World with legacy seating. Return fares begin at £620 including taxes; sales start March 17, 2026.
These additions form part of a 9% long-haul capacity expansion for winter 2026, including increased frequencies to Cape Town, Tokyo, Barbados, New Orleans, Houston, Baltimore, Delhi, and Abu Dhabi, targeting leisure and business demand amid shifting global patterns.