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  "path": "/travel/british-airways-new-routes-melbourne-colombo",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-17T15:44:58.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "Wizz Air launches mega-sale with up to 20% off summer flights - but you must act quickly",
    "The UK cities perfect for an early spring staycation, with longer days and better weather",
    "Royal Caribbean brings world-famous entertainment show to sea for the first time",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\nBritish Airways has unveiled a major boost to its winter 2026 flying schedule, with the carrier's long-haul network set to grow by nine per cent.\n\nThe airline is adding two brand-new destinations that travellers will love – Melbourne in Australia and Colombo in Sri Lanka.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nBritish Airways' chief planning and strategy officer, Neil Chernoff, 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.\"\n\nThe Melbourne route kicks off on January 9, 2027, perfectly timed for fans heading to the Australian Open and Melbourne Grand Prix.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTRENDING\n\nStories\n\nVideos\n\nYour Say\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nFlights will run daily from Heathrow, stopping in Kuala Lumpur along the way, with four cabin options including First class. Return fares start at £1,130.\n\nFor those dreaming of Sri Lanka's stunning beaches and wildlife, the Colombo service launches on October 23, 2026.\n\nThese flights will operate three times weekly from Gatwick during the winter season, with returns from £620.\n\nBoth routes offer economy, premium economy and business class, giving travellers plenty of choice for their adventure.\n\n\n### LATEST TRAVEL\n\n\n\n\n  * Wizz Air launches mega-sale with up to 20% off summer flights - but you must act quickly\n  * The UK cities perfect for an early spring staycation, with longer days and better weather\n  * Royal Caribbean brings world-famous entertainment show to sea for the first time\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nBeyond the new destinations, BA is ramping up flights on routes that are already popular with British holidaymakers.\n\nCape Town will get a third daily service from Heathrow starting in December, while Tokyo Haneda doubles to twice daily from late March.\n\nA brand-new daily Gatwick to Barbados flight launches on October 25, running alongside the existing Heathrow service and connecting onwards to Grenada, Guyana and Tobago.\n\nSt Lucia becomes a standalone daily route, Costa Rica goes up to five weekly flights moving to Heathrow, and Jamaica and Punta Cana both increase to four times weekly.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe airline has also been busy responding to disruption in the Middle East, adding seven extra return services to Bangkok and Singapore over recent weeks.\n\nThat's meant more than 3,300 additional seats between March 10 and 19 for passengers needing alternative routes. Meanwhile, British Airways Holidays has noticed a clear shift in where people want to go, with Caribbean searches jumping more than 50 per cent.\n\nAntigua is up 63 per cent, Barbados has risen 46 per cent, and Indian Ocean spots like the Maldives and Mauritius are also seeing huge interest.\n\nOverall, flight searches to the Caribbean, South West Pacific and South Asia have climbed 40 per cent.\n\n**Our Standards:The GB News Editorial Charter **",
  "title": "British Airways announces huge 2026 programme including flights to two brand-new destinations"
}