On October 29, 2024, a British Airways Boeing 777 touched down at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK) ending a hiatus of four years since the carrier last operated direct flights from London to the Thai capital.
The first flight back to Bangkok departed London-Gatwick Airport (LGW) at 22:00 local time on Monday, October 28, landing in Bangkok the following day at 15:55 local time, 15 minutes ahead of schedule. The flight was operated by one of the airline’s 43-strong fleet of Boeing 777-200ER registered G-YMMA. On arrival, customers onboard the first flight were greeted by traditional dancers, flower garlands, and local gifts.
British Airways announced its return to Bangkok earlier in 2024, having last operated services to the city in 2020 before they were discontinued amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially, the newly relaunched flights are to operate three times per week, increasing up to five times per week in January and February 2025, and four times per week in March 2025.
The outbound flight (BA2231) is scheduled to depart London-Gatwick at 21:15 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, arriving around 11 hours 30 minutes later at 16:10 the following afternoon. The return sector (BA2230) departs Bangkok on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays at 22:25, arriving back at Gatwick the following morning at 05:30.
Customers flying on the route have a choice of three cabins (business, premium economy, and economy) with the aircraft configured to accommodate 32, 48, and 252 in each cabin, respectively. The new flights will offer 996 extra weekly seats on the route in each direction, rising to 1,660 per week in each direction in early 2025.
The route relaunch comes after the carrier’s recent announcement of the expansion of its codeshare partnership with Thai carrier Bangkok Airways, allowing British Airways customers to connect via Bangkok onto services operated by Bangkok Airways. These include five popular holiday destinations across Thailand and beyond – Koh Samui, Phuket, and Chiang Mai within the same country, plus Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, as well as the northwestern resort town of Siem Reap.
“We know that Bangkok has been a highly anticipated route restart for our customers, so we are thrilled to see it firmly back on our global route map,” said Neil Chernoff, British Airways’ Chief Planning and Strategy Officer. “Not only does Bangkok itself have so much to offer our leisure customers, but it is a gateway to some of the most beautiful parts of Southeast Asia and we are proud to make these more accessible to the UK market.”
“It is great to welcome British Airways back to Thailand, and just in time for the peak season,” added Sadudee Sangnil, Director of UK, Ireland & South Africa, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). “With so much to experience across Thailand, the addition of these flights means we can welcome more people, seeking winter sun, to experience Thailand’s warmth, beauty, and culture.”
“Connectivity to popular hubs such as Phuket is fantastic, but we also welcome visitors to explore beyond and discover local communities, national parks, and lesser-known beaches. Chiang Mai, which has quickly recovered from recent floods, is also welcoming travelers again,” she added.
British Airways joins Thai Airways on the London to Bangkok route, which currently flies twice daily Boeing 777-300ER flights from London-Heathrow (LHR). Additionally, EVA Air of Taiwan flies from Heathrow to Bangkok as a stopover on its daily London to Taipei services operated by Boeing 777-300ERs.
Further growth put back
British Airways was also due to recommence daily flights between London and Kuala Lumpur for the 2024/25 northern winter season. However, the carrier recently revealed that the restart of services on this route has been pushed back until April 1, 2025, following issues with Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines that power its fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliner widebodies scheduled to fly the route.
With the addition of Bangkok back into its route network, British Airways now serves nearly 200 destinations across more than 60 countries, including routes with its partner airlines. It operates out of four major London airports – London-Heathrow, London-Gatwick, London-Stansted (STN), and London-City (LCY) – and serves up to 26 cities in the US alone.