Skip to main content

British Airways stops flights to several Gulf cities

The airline will no longer fly to destinations in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman in 2021 as global air travel continues to take a hit amid the pandemic.

British Airways Airbus A380 aircraft stand parked at the Chateauroux-Deols "Marcel Dassault" Airport (CHR) in Deols, central France on October 29, 2020. - Many aeroplanes from several airlines are parked at the airport as a result of the downturn in air travel caused by the new coronavirus (Covid-19) epidemic. (Photo by GUILLAUME SOUVANT / AFP) (Photo by GUILLAUME SOUVANT/AFP via Getty Images)
British Airways Airbus A380 aircraft stand parked at the Chateauroux-Deols "Marcel Dassault" Airport in Deols, central France, on Oct. 29, 2020. — GUILLAUME SOUVANT/AFP via Getty Images

British Airways will stop flying to several Gulf destinations next year as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect regional travel.

The airline cut its routes to Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Muscat for 2021, the BBC reported Thursday. The British Airways website still lists Amman, Beirut, Dubai, Tel Aviv and other regional destinations as in its Middle Eastern network.

British Airways has been having to operate a reduced schedule during the COVID-19 pandemic like other airlines around the world. The airline also cut lengthy flight routes to several North American and Asian destinations.

Middle Eastern airlines have been similarly affected by the coronavirus and the international air travel crisis. Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways reported that its number of passengers fell to just 30,000 in the second quarter of 2020 from more than 3 million the year before. Dubai’s Emirates said it incurred more than $3 billion in losses this year.

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

Continue reading this exclusive analysis

Original reporting and analysis unavailable elsewhere. Subscribe to AL-MONITOR to read this story and access everything we publish