As the new year is nearly here, it is worth exploring 
British Airways’ new and returning routes. The nine upcoming markets involve three units (BA mainline, BA EuroFlyer, and BA CityFlyer) and five airports on the UK mainland (Glasgow, London City, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, and London Stansted).
As the additions have already been disclosed, this article is simply a summary of the situation. It reflects what is known as of December 26. It is highly likely that more routes will be added, particularly for next autumn or winter.
BA Will Begin These Nine Routes In 2026
Four of the nine airport pairs will be operated by BA CityFlyer, more than any other unit. Two routes involve Glasgow, an airport that will welcome the return of United Airlines in 2026. CityFlyer will introduce services to Palma de Mallorca and the popular northern Spanish foodie destination of San Sebastián. Cirium Diio data suggests it’ll be the first time Glasgow-San Sebastián has been served.
While they might not seem like dramatic additions, they’re great examples of the London City-based operator flying from regional UK airports. It has done so for several years. While some midweek flights exist, it is primarily a weekend activity. After all, this is when there’s less demand to/from London City and when that airport’s restrictive operating times come into effect. It’s a good way of increasing aircraft utilization while seeking out peak season, time-limited, and exciting opportunities.
On Fridays, an 106-seat E190 will arrive in Glasgow at 9:45 pm. It’ll then operate to San Sebastián on Saturday mornings, returning to Glasgow at 1:15 pm and then operating to/from Palma. On Sundays, it’ll depart for City at 11:05 am, arriving at 12:35 pm, shortly after the airport reopens for flights after its weekend slumber.
|
Start Date |
Route* |
Unit |
Operations |
Previously Served By BA? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
April 19 |
Heathrow-Guernsey |
Mainline |
Daily A319 |
Yes, until 1980 from Heathrow, and from Glasgow to Guernsey until 2003 |
|
April 19 |
Heathrow-St Louis |
Mainline |
Four weekly 787-8 (two departures on the 787-9**) |
No |
|
April 30 |
Gatwick-Kalamata |
EuroFlyer |
Up to daily A320ceo/A321ceo |
No. But from Heathrow between 2016 and 2024 |
|
May 9 |
Glasgow-Palma de Mallorca |
CityFlyer |
Weekly E190 |
No |
|
May 14 |
Heathrow-Tivat |
Mainline |
Three weekly A320ceo |
No |
|
May 23 |
City-Toulon |
CityFlyer |
Twice-weekly E190 |
No (it’ll be Toulon’s sole UK operation). But BA flew from Gatwick until 2004 |
|
May 23 |
Stansted-Olbia |
CityFlyer |
Twice-weekly E190 |
No |
|
May 24 |
Gatwick-Chania |
EuroFlyer |
Twice-weekly A320ceo/A321ceo |
No. But it continues to be served from Heathrow |
|
July 18 |
Glasgow-San Sebastián |
CityFlyer |
Twice-weekly E190 |
No |
|
* Known as of December 26 |
** April 19 and 28 |
St. Louis Will Be BA’s 27th US Destination
On April 19, the 
oneworld member will take off to Missouri for the first time. The launch will come after Easter but in time for the peak summer season, with the highest demand and fares. It’ll be St. Louis’ second European route, joining Lufthansa from Frankfurt. St. Louis last had London flights in 2003, when American Airlines ceased flying to Gatwick. The route was inherited from TWA.
The appeal of St. Louis to BA is multifaceted and pretty obvious. And this does not only mean 800+ daily passengers flying to/from Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia, or significant financial incentives. Like other US airports crying out for European flights, London is the top unserved city. BA will serve it four times a week, with nearly all services on the carrier’s new, lower-capacity, 204-seat Boeing 787-8s.
Emirates Adds 2 Daily Airbus A380 Flights To Europe’s 10th Busiest Airport
Emirates’ winter plans reveal a striking change for this European airport’s equipment next winter.
Toulon To Have UK Flights Again
The French city of Toulon is located on the coast, much closer to Marseille than to Nice. Multiple airlines have operated to/from the UK in the past. In the last two decades or so, they have included Air France, BA, CityJet, easyJet, Flybe, and Ryanair. Seven UK airports have had flights in this time period.
Toulon lost UK flights in late 2024, when easyJet ceased flying from Gatwick. They had operated since 2022. UK service will return after an absence of a year and a half, when CityFlyer lifts off from London City in May. It’ll be the first time that that UK airport has had Toulon flights since CityJet ended them in 2017.
