British Airways redirects China capacity to Cape Town, Miami and Seattle

British Airways will temporarily increase flying on three of its most popular routes from London Heathrow, utilizing the long-haul capacity freed up by the carrier’s suspension of service to China due to COVID-19 coronavirus.

From March 30 to April 19, BA will increase Heathrow-Cape Town frequency from 2X weekly to 5X weekly. The airline will also add a second daily flight between Heathrow and Seattle from May 1 through May 31 as well as a second daily service between Heathrow and Miami from April to May 31.

In a statement, BA cautioned that the increased flying may be subject to change, an indication of the uncertainty airlines are facing as they contend with COVID-19.

“We know that these destinations in the US and Africa are highly sought after, particularly during spring, so we are pleased to be able to offer more flights to these destinations for our customers who are looking to get away,” BA’s director of network and alliances Neil Chernoff said.

IATA has estimated that the world’s airlines will take a $29.3 billion revenue hit in 2020 from COVID-19.

Photo credit: British Airways / Stuart Bailey