Originally Posted by
LapLap
Am fascinated by the current HND to LHR routes.
Does anybody know why BA8 has been taking a more Southerly route, over Alaska and across the Baffin Bay, whilst JL41 goes through the Bering Strait and along the North of Baffin Bay?
JL’s route typically takes an hour less (13h vs 14h on BA8)
Here's what the pilots told me when I asked the same question back in December: JL and ANA have longer ETOPS authorisations than BA does as they routinely fly over the Pacific, so they can fly polar routes; BA's ETOPS is shorter and thus they need to stick "closer" to diversion airports and that makes the polar route unfeasible.