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British Airways to suspend flights to one of the world’s oldest cities this year
And the new flight routes you can expect instead
BRITISH Airways is pausing one of their flight routes to a major city.
The flag carrier confirmed that flights from London to Beijing will be suspended in October.
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The airline told : "We will be pausing our route to Beijing from October 26, 2024, and we're contacting any affected customers with rebooking options or to offer them a full refund."
British Airways did not say why the suspension was in place, but that it was still in review.
They also said they will still be offering direct flights to both Shanghai and Hong Kong.
The flight route to one of the world's oldest cities only restarted back in June 2023, after it was suspended back in 2020 due to the pandemic.
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It previously operated four times a week, flying to the new Beijing Daxing Airport on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
It comes just weeks after Virgin Atlantic scrapped flights from the UK to Shanghai.
Also being scrapped from October 26, the airline first launched the flights 25 years ago.
They said at the time: “Significant challenges and complexities on this route have contributed to the commercial decision to suspend flying to Shanghai.
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“We’re sorry for the disappointment caused to our loyal customers and anyone booked to travel from 26 October 2024 will be offered a refund.”
And Virgin's Hong Kong route is yet to return either, which first launched back in 1994.
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A number of airline routes, especially to Asia, have been affected by the conflicts in both Russia and Israel, with many flights having to divert to avoid the airspace.
This is also making flights longer, due to the diverted routes.
The Sun's Ryan Gray recently visited Shanghai - and revealed how to find amazing cheap Michelin meals.
He said: "Having lived in China for four years before, I consider myself to be something of a noodle pro.
"And the noodles in Wei Xiang Zhai (味香斋) are definitely among the best I've had anywhere in the world, let alone the rest of China.
"Given it's such a celebrated eatery, Wei Xiang Zhai remains a very humble establishment, housed in a small unassuming building between a supermarket and a run-down dumpling place.
"And for such a simple combination of little more than tahini, peanut butter, soy and vinegar, the sauce was thick and velvety and exceptionally moreish.
"For the princely sum of £1.40, I was given a huge bowlful of the elegant, nutty strands, enough to leave me suitably stuffed, with plenty of change remaining in my wallet."
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Here are some other flight routes outside of China that are being scrapped, including Virgin's Turks & Caicos and the Bahamas.
And British Airways is to scrap its London to Belgrade flight route next month, just eight months after launching.
New flight routes in the UK
- British Airways is to launch a brand-new direct service between London Heathrow and Tromsø in Norway.
- Budget airline Norse Atlantic Airways is launching new transatlantic flights from London Gatwick to Las Vegas, and it's the first time the London airport will have flights to the US city.
- Norse Atlantic Airways will also operate new routes from London Gatwick to Cape Town this winter.
- EasyJet has launched new flights from Glasgow Airport to Larnaca in Cyprus and Enfidha in Tunisia.
- Lufthansa City Airlines will have flights between Birmingham and Munich from June.
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