World
British Airways Scraps Plans to Resume London-Abu Dhabi Flights in 2027
British Airways has apparently canceled all upcoming flights between London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH), according to schedule data from aviation analytics firm Cirium. The route had been suspended since late February, and as recently as last week, Cirium's data indicated it was scheduled to resume in January 2027. That listing has now been removed entirely.
The decision stands out because most of British Airways' other Middle Eastern routes have either resumed or are scheduled to restart in the coming months, despite ongoing disruption to Middle Eastern aviation following US and Israeli strikes on Iran earlier in 2026.
Cirium data had shown BA planning to relaunch the Abu Dhabi route with six weekly flights in each direction, using Boeing 787-9 and 787-10 aircraft. This timeline already reflected a delay from an earlier plan to restart the route in late October with the start of the winter schedule. Following the most recent schedule changes, Abu Dhabi no longer appears anywhere in BA's long-haul plans for 2027.
British Airways' Middle Eastern network remains limited overall, with Doha, Qatar currently the only served destination in the region, as overall flights to the Middle East remain down 88% compared to September 2025 levels. Simple Flying has contacted British Airways for comment on the Abu Dhabi suspension and will provide updates upon receiving a response.
Meanwhile, several other Middle Eastern routes are set to resume. Flights to Doha operate daily at present and will increase to twice daily when the IATA Summer Schedule begins in late March. Tel Aviv, Israel will be the next route to restart, with daily flights beginning in late October. Dubai and Riyadh will follow in November, also with daily service, before increasing to twice daily in late March. Amman, Jordan will also resume in November, with four weekly flights — the lowest frequency among these routes. Flights to Bahrain are set to resume in late March with a daily frequency. All these plans could still change given ongoing regional tensions.
In the meantime, Etihad Airways remains the only carrier operating nonstop flights between the UK and Abu Dhabi. From London Heathrow, Etihad operates four flights daily, with the Airbus A380 used on three of them most days; other flights use the Airbus A350-1000, Boeing 777-300ER, 787-9, and 787-10. Etihad also serves Manchester Airport twice daily, typically using a 777-300ER and a 787-9, though on September 2, the 787-10 was used in place of the 787-9.