en.Wedoany.com Reported - British Airways has adjusted its A380 schedule for the winter of 2026/2027, removing the superjumbo from its London Heathrow to Dubai International Airport route while cutting overall A380 winter flights by 28%.

Since 2019, British Airways has operated the Airbus A380 on the London Heathrow (LHR) to Dubai International Airport (DXB) route. Due to the aircraft type's poor performance in high temperatures, it typically operates this route only during the winter season. The airline had originally planned to continue using the A380 on the Dubai route for the winter of 2026/2027, but that arrangement has now changed. Dubai is a significant local market for London, with 2025 booking data showing over 2.1 million passengers traveling between the UK capital's airports and Dubai, averaging more than 5,700 passengers per day.

British Airways' Middle East network remains far below its originally planned scale due to the ongoing conflict in Iran. Several routes remain suspended, with the resumption of flights to Abu Dhabi and Bahrain postponed to 2027. The Dubai route has been interrupted since March 2026, and British Airways plans to resume London Heathrow to Dubai flights on October 25, when Northern Hemisphere airlines switch to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) winter schedule.

British Airways had originally planned to operate three daily flights to Dubai during the winter of 2026/2027, with two using the 256-seat Boeing 787-10 and one using the 469-seat double-deck, four-engine aircraft. Following the adjustment, the airline will operate only one to two daily flights, and the superjumbo will no longer be used, with the 787 series typically deployed, sometimes alongside the 777-200ER.

Cirium Diio data shows that between November 2026 and February 2027, British Airways will operate five daily A380 flights from London Heathrow: two daily flights to Miami International Airport (MIA), and one daily flight each to Johannesburg O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and Singapore Changi Airport (SIN). The Singapore route will resume in September 2026, marking its first return since May of last year. Compared with November 2025 to February 2026, British Airways' A380 flights will decrease by 28%, and its ranking among superjumbo operators will drop from third to sixth globally. The reduction in flights is linked to British Airways' ongoing cabin reconfiguration of its 12-strong A380 subfleet: the aircraft's seat count will be reduced from 469 to 421, with 88 economy seats removed and 13 business class suites and 29 premium economy seats added. This winter, British Airways' A380 will serve only four destinations, down from six the previous winter—Dubai (DXB), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) have been removed from the A380 route list.

The London to Dubai route is currently operated by British Airways, Emirates, and Royal Brunei. Royal Brunei's flights via Dubai to Bandar Seri Begawan are scheduled to resume in October. British Airways and Etihad Airways operate the London Heathrow to Abu Dhabi route, with British Airways expected to resume the route in January 2027. Additionally, Air Arabia has launched flights from Sharjah to London Gatwick Airport (LGW) and has confirmed an increase to three daily flights, all operated by the A321LR. Emirates' winter schedule plans 12 daily passenger flights to London, with 6 to Heathrow, 4 to Gatwick, and 2 to Stansted. From December 2026, 9 of the 12 daily flights are planned to be operated by the A380.