British Airways has announced plans to resume daily flights between Melbourne Airport (MEL) and London-Heathrow Airport (LHR) starting January 11, 2027.
The British flag carrier, which has been connecting Australia and the UK for more than 90 years, will operate the route using a four-class Boeing Dreamliner 787-9, featuring First, Club World (business class), World Traveller Plus (premium economy), and World Traveller (economy) cabins. .
The new same-aircraft service, which will operate via Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL), marks British Airways’ return to Melbourne after 20 years. It last flew the route in March 2006.
The route’s resumption is expected to provide travelers and exporters from Victoria, Tasmania, regional New South Wales, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory with a new option to reach London and connect to the airline’s global network.
Melbourne Airport Chief Executive Officer Lorie Argus expressed enthusiasm about the announcement, stating, “We are thrilled to welcome British Airways back to Melbourne Airport and we’re incredibly excited about what this extra choice means for travellers and exporters.”
Argus also emphasized the importance of attracting and supporting more international services, as each daily international service contributes around AU$190 million (US$127 million) to the Victorian economy annually.
British Airways’ Chief Planning and Strategy Officer Neil Chernoff expressed confidence in the new route’s popularity.
“We have a long history of connecting Britain and Australia, and we’re excited to be returning to this great city,” Chernoff said.
British Airways global expansion
In addition to the Melbourne route, British Airways has announced a significant expansion of its global network for winter 2026. The airline will launch a new route to Colombo, Sri Lanka, and increase frequencies on several popular routes, including Cape Town, South Africa; Haneda, Tokyo; Bridgetown, Barbados; Kingston, Jamaica; and San Jose, Costa Rica. The expansion represents a 9% growth in British Airways’ long-haul route network.
The airline has also added extra flights to Bangkok and Singapore in response to increased demand due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. British Airways Holidays has noted a rise in searches for alternative holiday destinations, with popular destinations like Antigua and Gran Canaria seeing increases of more than 50%.