International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (LSE:IAG) (IAG)-owned British Airways will stop operating flights between London and Beijing later this year.
The airline had dubbed the route as one of its “most important” last year when restarting flights after the pandemic.
However, a Russian ban on western airlines entering its airspace since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022 has forced operators to fly longer and more costly routes.
British Airways is set to axe the Beijing route from October to November next year, alongside one of two daily flights to Hong Kong.
Flights between London and Shanghai will not be affected, as the airline keeps schedules under review.
Virgin Atlantic announced last month that its own route to Shanghai would be cut, highlighting “significant challenges and complexities” over flying to China.
Flights to Shanghai, Virgin’s only Chinese destination, had become one hour longer as a result of Russia’s airspace ban, while returning services took two hours extra, Virgin said.
IAG chief financial officer Nicholas Cadbury added British Airways was grappling with “weak demand” in China in an investor call last month.
This was as flights between Europe and China faced a sluggish recovery after the pandemic, with carriers from the latter, which are still allowed to use Russian airspace, taking market share.