British Airways boosts Middle East connectivity with extra flights

British Airways (BA) will expand services from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow with a major schedule increase beginning in late October and running through summer 2026. 

 

The UK flag-carrier said the move reflects sustained demand from the Gulf, where passenger traffic to the UK continues to grow.

 

From 27 October, the airline will upgrade its Bahrain–London service to a daily operation, more than doubling capacity on the route and adding some 9,000 extra seats each year for travellers heading to the UK and beyond.

 

In Saudi Arabia, BA will boost Riyadh services to 12 flights per week this winter, rising to 14 weekly flights by summer 2026, effectively offering two flights a day at peak times.  

 

Jeddah services will also expand to five flights weekly from summer 2026, up from the current four, improving connectivity from the country’s western region.

 

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UAE capital Abu Dhabi will regain a daily service to London Heathrow from winter 2025, strengthening the UAE capital’s connection to the UK market. The airline continues to serve Abu Dhabi from London Gatwick in the interim.

 

Abu Dhabi will see the return of a daily service to London from winter 2025, following its suspension of flights between 31 March and 25 October. 

BA also continues to serve Abu Dhabi direct from London Gatwick.

 

The expanded flight schedule will also ensure smoother onward connections to more than 200 global destinations via London Heathrow. 

 

Select Middle East routes are operated with aircraft offering all four cabins – First, Club World (business class), World Traveller Plus (premium economy) and World Traveller (economy) – and feature Arabic-speaking crew on flights from Riyadh, Jeddah and Bahrain. 

 

The airline’s global network also continues to evolve, with new destinations including Rabat in Morocco and Graz in Austria launching this winter.

 

For more information, visit www.britishairways.com