Thousands of British Airways flights have been canceled in the coming months as Heathrow’s passenger cap and winter demand fall short of expectations.
BA canceled 629 short-haul trips by 29 October after London’s busiest airport extended its daily limit of 100,000 passengers due to staff shortages.
Some 5,000 BA short haul flights from Heathrow, Gatwick and London City airports have also been canceled over the winter. This represents about 8% of the airline’s flights through March 2023.
BA said it would be contacting those affected by the cancellation to receive alternative flights or refunds.
A BA spokesperson said:
“While the majority of our customers are traveling as planned and have secured key holiday destinations for half the year, we still have a few more cancellations to make before the end of October.
“In addition, we will inform customers traveling with us this winter of schedule adjustments, including consolidating some of our short-haul flights to destinations that serve multiple services.
“Customers affected by these changes will be offered alternative flights on British Airways or another airline, or the option of a refund.”
In July, Heathrow Airport imposed a passenger cap until 11 September. This meant airlines had to cancel flights and restrict seats on some trips.
On August 15th, West London Airport extended the cap until October 29th.
Overall, BA flight capacity declined by about 13% between May and October.
Other airlines are also expected to make cancellations within the next two months.
