British Airways announces huge 2026 programme including flights to two brand-new destinations

Sarra Gray
Tue, 17 Mar 2026 15:44:58 +0000

British Airways has unveiled a major boost to its winter 2026 flying schedule, with the carrier's long-haul network set to grow by nine per cent.

The airline is adding two brand-new destinations that travellers will love – Melbourne in Australia and Colombo in Sri Lanka.

British Airways' chief planning and strategy officer, Neil Chernoff, said: "We're delighted to announce sizeable growth to our flying schedule for winter 2026, including two notable new destinations that I'm confident will prove popular with our customers."

The Melbourne route kicks off on January 9, 2027, perfectly timed for fans heading to the Australian Open and Melbourne Grand Prix.

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Flights will run daily from Heathrow, stopping in Kuala Lumpur along the way, with four cabin options including First class. Return fares start at £1,130.

For those dreaming of Sri Lanka's stunning beaches and wildlife, the Colombo service launches on October 23, 2026.

These flights will operate three times weekly from Gatwick during the winter season, with returns from £620.

Both routes offer economy, premium economy and business class, giving travellers plenty of choice for their adventure.

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Beyond the new destinations, BA is ramping up flights on routes that are already popular with British holidaymakers.

Cape Town will get a third daily service from Heathrow starting in December, while Tokyo Haneda doubles to twice daily from late March.

A brand-new daily Gatwick to Barbados flight launches on October 25, running alongside the existing Heathrow service and connecting onwards to Grenada, Guyana and Tobago.

St Lucia becomes a standalone daily route, Costa Rica goes up to five weekly flights moving to Heathrow, and Jamaica and Punta Cana both increase to four times weekly.

The airline has also been busy responding to disruption in the Middle East, adding seven extra return services to Bangkok and Singapore over recent weeks.

That's meant more than 3,300 additional seats between March 10 and 19 for passengers needing alternative routes. Meanwhile, British Airways Holidays has noticed a clear shift in where people want to go, with Caribbean searches jumping more than 50 per cent.

Antigua is up 63 per cent, Barbados has risen 46 per cent, and Indian Ocean spots like the Maldives and Mauritius are also seeing huge interest.

Overall, flight searches to the Caribbean, South West Pacific and South Asia have climbed 40 per cent.