British Airways expands long-haul network for summer 2026
British Airways has confirmed changes to its long-haul schedule from Heathrow and Gatwick for summer 2026, including several that affect travellers to the US and Middle East.
A key change is the increase of Heathrow-JFK to nine daily flights. This comes at the expense of the daily Gatwick-JFK service, which is dropped from the schedule.
Other US route changes include:
Miami – Reintroduction of a double-daily service from Heathrow.
Dallas-Fort Worth – Daily flights returning.
Las Vegas – Increase from 10 to 13 flights per week.
San Diego and Austin – Both expanding to 14 flights per week.
Business routes to the Middle East and Gulf region have also been expanded. They include:
Bahrain – Daily flights from Heathrow, more than doubling capacity.
Saudi Arabia – Increased frequency with five weekly flights to Jeddah and 14 to Riyadh.
Doha – Expanded to 14 flights per week.
In other changes, BA’s Bangkok route, which shifted from Heathrow to Gatwick after Covid, becomes year-round, with six flights a week in winter. An expanded codeshare with Bangkok Airways allows onward connections to key regional business destinations such as Phuket and Phnom Penh.
In the Caribbean, there will be an additional weekly service to Kingston, Jamaica, bringing the Gatwick summer schedule to four flights per week.
What BA says this means for corporate clients
Improved seat availability on high-demand routes (e.g., US gateways, Bangkok, Riyadh) can help reduce reliance on higher-yield fares and provide more flexibility for traveller schedules.
Expanded codeshares in Asia enhance multi-destination itineraries, enabling smarter routing and potential cost savings compared with indirect air options.
Premium cabin enhancements on New York services support traveller well-being and align with duty-of-care requirements for long-haul, high-frequency routes.
Strategic planning for peak travel periods is now possible with greater visibility of long-haul capacity through to summer 2026.
Please reach out to our friendly travel experts for further information on BA’s network expansion.
