British Airways (BA) continues to dominate the UK airline market, ranking second in overall size after easyJet. The airline, a member of the one world alliance, has a strong presence in both domestic and international routes, particularly in long-haul services.

In 2026, BA, along with its subsidiaries BA CityFlyer and BA EuroFlyer, will offer over 270 routes according to data from Cirium Diio. While some routes, like those from London Heathrow to Cologne, Riga, and Stuttgart, will be discontinued, the airline will introduce ten new and returning routes. These additions were previously announced and analyzed, and more routes may be added later in the year.

The ten new routes will depart from five UK airports, with only two being outside of London. This diversity in departure points is a positive sign. Interestingly, only one of the routes will operate year-round.

Starting on April 19, BA will resume flights from Heathrow to Guernsey, a British Crown dependency in the Channel Islands. This route was previously operated by CityFlyer Express using ATR aircraft until 2003. With a distance of just 148 nautical miles, this will be BA’s third-shortest route from London.

On the same day, BA will also launch a new seasonal service from Heathrow to St. Louis, Missouri. This route will operate four times a week until the end of the summer peak season in October. The airline will primarily use its new 204-seat 787-8 aircraft, which features the new Club Suites. This will be BA’s first service to St. Louis since American Airlines ceased flights to Gatwick in 2003.

Another new route from Heathrow starting in April is to Kalamata, Greece. This route was previously operated from Heathrow, but will now be switched to Gatwick. Other new routes from various UK airports include Palma de Mallorca, Tivat, Toulon, Olbia, Chania, San Sebastián, and Orlando.

The Heathrow-Orlando route will only operate for a brief period in the summer, from July 21 to August 29. This route was previously operated from Gatwick, but will now be served from Heathrow with new Club Suites. All flights will depart Heathrow at 8:20 am, which is the earliest transatlantic flight time for BA.

These new and returning routes are expected to attract a mix of leisure and business travelers. With the addition of these routes, BA aims to target the 800+ daily round-trip passengers between St. Louis and Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia. The airline is confident that these routes will be successful, despite the challenges posed by the ongoing pandemic.