Why has BA not resumed direct flights to Kuala Lumpur
Jan 31, 2023, 9:25 am
#17
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 7,280
- 34 A350s (split across airlines and I don't have the brains to see how they were intended to be split across OpCos)
- 39 B787s of various types
- 12 B744s, due all to go away by 2024
- 12 A380s
- 43 B77Es
- 16 B77Ws
- 8 B779s
As for the 787s, there are, right now, 12 B788, 18 789 and 4 781, with a fifth coming soon or already in, can't remember. Make it -4.
Then we've got -12 for the B744s.
All B77E and B77W are accounted for, so the difference is 0, ditto for the A380s.
The 779 are nowhere near being certified, let alone delivered, so -8.
So, -4-12-8 = -24. And this is assuming that all 350s scheduled are with us, which somehow I doubt.
Edited to add: according to Airfleets, BA has 13 A350s and IB 16 = 29. Therefore IAG as a company is 5 short; I don't know the split between BA and IB, but depending on where we have BA could be short of anything between 24 or 29 long haul aircraft.
Last edited by 13901; Jan 31, 2023 at 9:34 am
Jan 31, 2023, 9:59 am
#19
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 7,280
Thanks. So all the 350s outstanding are due to BA, meaning -29 is indeed correct. By 2024, then, the airline will be -17 aircraft short vs where they wanted to be in 2022 as per the 2019 plans.
Jan 31, 2023, 10:41 am
#21
Join Date: Sep 2013
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Another KL fan here too ! Lots of good quality options to get out there from UK.
If BA ever do revive a KUL service I personally would only consider it if Club Suites was a certainty. Meanwhile for anyone really keen to fly the flag, the solution surely is to fly direct to SIN and then just book the little hop across to KL with the likes of SQ, MH, or indeed one of the LCCs.
Jan 31, 2023, 10:42 am
#22
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Location: London / Brighton
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I flew direct with Malaysia Airlines August last year, great service but pricey in business. I'm going to KL for work again in a few weeks time, via Doha this time to shave a couple of k off the price. AFAIK Malaysia is the only airline with scheduled direct flights from the UK this year 
Jan 31, 2023, 12:16 pm
#23
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 332
For LHR<->KUL route the restrictions on flying over Russia (and Ukraine) are probably not that significant as MH flights on this route seem to use only slightly more southern route compared to the most optimal great circle route that would go over Ukraine and Russia. The closed Russian airspace is bigger problem for flights between Europe and Japan, Korea and China as there you have to take a long detour to avoid Russian airspace.
Jan 31, 2023, 12:30 pm
#24
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Jan 31, 2023, 3:23 pm
#25
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 130
What you have to remember is BA are around 30-37 long haul aircraft less than pre-covid. The 787-10s are having to cover routes they werent planned for (such as SEA, PDX, DEN) and other fleets like 777/787/350 have been drafted to ex 747 routes. Until their fleet number increases or KL becomes more financially beneficial to BA we probably wont see a return to the likes of KUL/ICN/BKK until S24.
Jan 31, 2023, 7:17 pm
#26
Join Date: Feb 2014
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DEFINITELY not a gatwick route - but i hope they resume it soon. the connectivity in asia from ba is so limited atm
Jan 31, 2023, 10:07 pm
#27
Join Date: Aug 2015
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Have you seen what Qantas wants for the flight in Business and First? Last year that didn't even release the discount seats, in their attempt to boost the "revenue per average seat mile" presumably to buck up there finances vs capacity
Jan 31, 2023, 11:54 pm
#28
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No-one is saying SYD is cheap, but the route ties up three (or four?) frames and even more crew resources and probably isnt averaging that multiple of a US route on the fare side.
Jul 4, 2023, 7:24 pm
#29
Join Date: Jul 2023
Posts: 9
BA has a finite number of airplanes, crews and so on - especially now that there are no 747s and the replacement 78Xs, 35Ks haven't fully arrived yet. In this frame of mind, the airline will prioritise flying to those destinations where the return on invested capital is the highest. And, right now, a route like Pittsburgh, or Cincinnati, yields more than one to Osaka, Bangkok or KL. Plus they're shorter, so the same plane can fly 'more' passengers in the same length of time.
Unless there's less demand to fly to minor US destinations, or a dramatically large number of planes, crews, slots and so on, I doubt that a lot of these routes will come back. Plus, obviously, the Siberia overflight ban is going to be a long-standing impact.
Unless there's less demand to fly to minor US destinations, or a dramatically large number of planes, crews, slots and so on, I doubt that a lot of these routes will come back. Plus, obviously, the Siberia overflight ban is going to be a long-standing impact.
Jul 5, 2023, 3:05 am
#30
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