Summary
- British Airways plans to use its Airbus A380s on seven routes this winter.
- The double-decker will return to Los Angeles and will briefly operate to Chicago; Dubai will have double-daily flights for a short time.
- Looking further ahead, the type is not scheduled to Chicago next summer, with British Airways adding a third daily service instead.
The Northern Hemisphere aviation winter is fast approaching. Airlines will switch to winter schedules on Sunday, October 29th, exactly a month after this article was written. British Airways – Europe’s largest Airbus A380 operator – will use its 12 four-class, 469-seat double-deckers on seven routes. BA plans a typical seven to eight daily A380 departures from London Heathrow, the world’s third-largest widebody airport. It is also among the world’s top airports for four-engined widebodies.
BA’s A380 destinations this winter
The following are all scheduled to operate, but please note the comments. To summarize previously disclosed details, the A380 returns to Los Angeles, having last served the airport in March this year. While Chicago O’Hare sees the A380 daily this summer, it will only briefly operate this winter. Heathrow-Dubai will temporarily have double daily flights by the equipment; it is among the world’s most-served long-haul markets.
Photo: Soos Jozsef/Shutterstock
Destinations do not include Singapore, which will see BA’s A380s next spring when Changi will again have four operators of the type after more than four years.
|
Heathrow to… |
Flights |
Only sees the A380 this winter? |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Miami |
Double daily |
Yes |
|
|
Dubai |
Daily to double daily |
No |
Double daily from Heathrow Oct 30th-Nov 13th only |
|
Johannesburg |
Daily |
No |
|
|
Dallas Fort Worth |
Daily |
Yes |
|
|
San Francisco |
Daily |
No |
|
|
Los Angeles |
Daily |
No |
|
|
Chicago O’Hare |
Daily |
No |
A380 between Nov 15th-Dec 12th only |
What about Chicago?
BA first used its largest-capacity equipment to Chicago – a major city and important American Airlines and oneworld hub – in May 2018. Aside from an Emirates one-off A380 service on July 19th, 2016, BA has been the only user of the double-decker at the airport. The photo below was taken there.
Photo: EQRoy/Shutterstock
Used at Chicago until October 2019, the A380 returned in June 2022. While it presently operates daily, it will only briefly be flown there this winter (when Dubai reduces to daily), with just 56 roundtrip flights in November/December. When it ceases, Chicago will no longer have any A380 flights.
Chicago: no A380 next summer
As of September 29th and subject to change, Chicago will not see the A380 next summer. It seems that the return to Singapore, as mentioned earlier, partly explains this. BA has increased Heathrow-Chicago to triple daily, effective May 11th, to compensate for the capacity shortfall. It will be the first time in 15 years that BA has had that many flights on the 3,953-mile (6,361 km) route.
Stay aware: Sign up for my weekly new routes newsletter.
When all carriers are combined, Heathrow-Chicago will have a whopping 10 daily services next summer. Aside from BA’s triple daily operation (787-10, 777-200ER, and sometimes the 787-9), there will be four daily flights by American (787-9) and triple daily by United (high premium 767-300ER).
Photo: Vincenzo Pace/Simple Flying
Ten daily is not a record: 13 flights were operated in summer 2007 and 2008. But it is up from nine daily in summer 2019, when the A380 was used. However, there were up to 10 daily flights in 2019 at the city level, as Norwegian operated from London Gatwick.
Despite the frequency rise versus 2019, seats for sale next August will be 7% lower than the pre-pandemic period, which will obviously help with strong pricing, and a huge 29% lower than in August 2008. Aside from three fewer daily departures, seats per flight have fallen by a tenth, mainly because of no BA 747-400s and now no A380.
What do you make of it all? Let us know in the comments.
Sources of information: Cirium, OAG, BA’s website, Google Flights, ch-aviation.com, Flightradar24