British Airways Suspends All Flights On This 8-Hour Heathrow Route: See Map Now

Published Sep 15, 2026, 7:00 AM EDT A graduate in German, Jake has a passion for history and regional aviation, and enjoys sampling new carriers and aircraft. He has visited OEM facilities as far and wide as Bristol, Toulouse, and Seattle, and recently enjoyed the milestone of flying his 150th sector as a passenger. Based in Norfolk, UK. British Airways appears to have pulled the plug on all future flights from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) in the United Kingdom to Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) in the United Arab Emirates for the time being. Until as recently as last week, schedule data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, showed that this route, which was suspended in late February, was set to restart in January 2027. Now, however, the site does not list any British Airways flights on this route for next year. The move is an interesting one, as, while Middle Eastern aviation has struggled since the US and Israel began attacking Iran earlier in 2026, most of BA's flights to its other destinations in the region have either restarted or are set to do so in the coming months. Abu Dhabi, however, is a notable exception to this rule. The End Of The Line For Abu Dhabi According to Cirium, BA was initially planning to relaunch the Abu Dhabi route with six flights a week in each direction using Boeing 787-9 and 787-10 twinjets from the US planemaking juggernaut's popular Dreamliner series. This, in and of itself, represented a delayed relaunch, as, earlier in the year, the prognosis from BA was that it would restart flights in late October as the winter schedule began. Now, however, following the latest changes and schedule filings, Abu Dhabi appears to have been removed from BA's long-haul plans for 2027 altogether. Of course, its Middle Eastern network as a whole at present is very thin, with Doha (DOH) being the only city served, and flights to the region overall being down by 88% compared to September 2025. Still, for most other routes, a restart looks to be in sight. Simple Flying has reached out to British Airways for comment on its Abu Dhabi suspension. We will update our coverage upon receiving a response from the carrier. BA's Other Middle Eastern Destinations Are Bouncing Back At present, British Airways' sole operational Middle Eastern route links its main hub at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) with Doha Hamad International Airport in Qatar. These flights currently operate on a daily basis, but, when the IATA Summer Schedule starts in late March, the frequency will grow to twice a day. As seen above, five more Middle Eastern routes are set to join it in the coming few months. Tel Aviv (TLV) in Israel will be the first, with daily flights starting in late October, followed by Dubai (DXB) and Riyadh (RUH) in November with the same frequency. However, these two corridors will be boosted to two flights a day in late March as the seasons change, while Tel Aviv will remain a daily service. Of course, given the Middle East's various regional tensions, all of these plans are still subject to change. Another BA route starting in November will be the somewhat shorter Middle Eastern corridor from London Heathrow Airport to Amman (AMM) in Jordan. This has the lowest frequency, with flights operating four times a week. Last but not least, daily flights from London Heathrow to Bahrain International Airport (BAH) are currently set to resume in late March, with BA favoring a daily frequency on this route. Etihad Airways Continues To Link The UK With Abu Dhabi Credit: Abdul N Quraishi - Abs | Shutterstock In the absence of British Airways, it falls to UAE flag carrier Etihad Airways to be the only carrier operating nonstop flights between the UK and Abu Dhabi International Airport. From London Heathrow Airport, it serves Abu Dhabi four times a day at present, with the Airbus A380 accounting for three of these flights on most days. Other services use the A350-1000, Boeing 777-300ER, 787-9, and 787-10. Etihad's UK-Bound Aircraft Allocations Destination Aircraft Families London Heathrow Airbus A350, Airbus A380, Boeing 777, Boeing 787 Manchester Airport Boeing 777, Boeing 787 Interestingly, Etihad Airways' presence in the United Kingdom is not just limited to the capital city. Indeed, much like its Dubai-based rival, Emirates, it also serves Manchester Airport (MAN) in the northwest of England. These flights operate twice a day, with one using the 777-300ER and the other using the 787-9. The one exception this month came on September 2, when the Boeing 787-10 replaced the 787-9.