BRITISH AIRWAYS is launching two exciting new long-haul routes from the UK.
The airline is launching a route to Melbourne in Australia and Colombo in Sri Lanka.
The Melbourne route will be launching on January 9, 2027 in time for the Australian Open and the Melbourne Grand Prix.
The flights will operate year-round from London Heathrow, via Kuala Lumpur, on a daily basis.
It will take off from Heathrow at 9:10pm and land in Kuala Lumpur at 6:05pm the next day.
The flight will then take off again at 7:45pm and land in Melbourne the following morning at 6:40am.
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The return leg will start on January 11, taking off each day at 4:35pm and landing in Kuala Lumpur at 9:35pm.
The flight will then take off from Kuala Lumpur at 11:15pm and land back at Heathrow the following day at 5:20am.
Return flights will cost from £1,130 and go on sale on March 17.
Melbourne is the capital of Victoria and is Australia‘s second-largest city.
It was recently named the world’s best city by Time Out, with it scoring high among younger residents as well as for its food scene, art and culture scene nightlife.
The city is also often ranked among the world’s most liveable cities.
When you are there you can explore the city’s lively arts scene in Fitzroy, where there are a number of vintage shops, record stores and cosy cafes.
The city often hosts major sporting events as well, such as Formula One.
Melbourne also loves its coffee, with a large café culture including hidden bars and restaurants.
Flights to Colombo in Sri Lanka will launch sooner, on October 23, 2026.
The flights will operate three times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from London Gatwick to Colombo.
The route will only operate during the winter though.
The flight will depart at 5:30pm each time, landing in Colombo the following day at 9am.
And the return leg – which starts on October 24 – will depart at 11am and land back at Gatwick at 5pm.
Return fares start from £620 and also go on sale on March 17.
Colombo is the capital of Sri Lanka and is known as a vibrant and bustling city.
Top things to do include heading to Pettah Market, which features different ‘zones’ for specific goods, including spices and textiles.
Make sure to explore the colonial-era buildings in the Fort area as well.
Tuk-tuks are popular in the city too and are an experience in themselves.
In addition to the two new routes, BA is also boosting capacity on several routes including Cape Town in South Africa; Tokyo in Japan; Bridgetown in Barbados; Kingston in Jamaica and San Jose in Costa Rica.
Neil Chernoff, British Airways’ Chief Planning and Strategy Officer, said: ”We’re delighted to announce sizeable growth to our flying schedule for winter 2026, including two notable new destinations that I’m confident will prove popular with our customers.
“We’re also increasing services across several high-demand routes around the world.
“Together, these changes represent a significant investment in our long-haul leisure network, adding even more options and choice for our customers.”
In other flight news, there are 37 new flights launching from a major UK airport this year including budget routes to Asia.
Plus, a UK airport is launching its biggest ever flight schedule with 19 new routes in major £60million expansion.