British Airways is comfortably the largest European carrier for long-haul flights. According to Cirium Diio data, the oneworld member has an average of 90 daily departures from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and London Gatwick Airport (LGW). It has 2% more long-haul services than it did last year.

Multiple new and returning routes have contributed to this growth. They include operating the first flight from LHR to St Louis, while BA will once again fly from LGW to Colombo later this year. You can see more such services in our coverage here.

This Is BA’s Longest Nonstop Flight

Credit: Shutterstock

Articles that examine route length usually focus on the maximum block time, and that’s the approach taken here. BA’s nonstop flights for July 2026 to March 2027 have been explored using OAG data. This reflects what is known as of June 16, and is subject to change. While one-stop services are occasionally included, such as with analysis of Qatar Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, and Turkish Airlines, only nonstop activity is analyzed here.

Block time includes taxiing at both ends of a route, along with the flight time and a short period for delays. Reflecting slot possession, it is measured as chocks-off-to-chocks-on (or stand-to-stand or gate-to-gate). It balances the need for a competitive schedule with high aircraft productivity and high reliability.

With a maximum block time of 15 hours and 35 minutes, LHR to Santiago ranks number one among BA’s nonstop services. The long route, which covers 6,281 nautical miles (11,632 km) each way, is served three to four weekly on both the 215-seat and 216-seat Boeing 787-9. (The 215-seater has new Club World seats.) The airline has served the capital of Chile for years. Flights operated via Buenos Aires until 2000 on the 747-400. While no flights existed from 2001 until 2016, nonstop service launched in 2017.

Credit: Flightradar24

These routes are summarized in the following table and shown on the interactive map. The map, which shows airspace closures in red, enables readers to zoom in and out and select routes by the maximum block time, equipment, and frequency. Most of the entries, especially the first three, are heavily impacted by the continued inability to fly over Russian airspace.

Avoiding Russian airspace means much longer routes, with the consequent increase in fuel consumption, emissions, a less competitive offer, and so on. For example, flights from Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) back to LHR are now blocked at up to 15 hours and five minutes. However, the maximum block time in the four years until the start of the war in Ukraine was 13 hours and five minutes. Flights now operate via Central Asia and the Caucasus in both directions.

In contrast, Air China and China Eastern, both of which also fly between PVG and LHR or LGW, do fly through Russian airspace. As such, their block times do not exceed 12 hours and 45 minutes, which means lower operating expenses and a good competitive advantage.

BA’s 6th To 10th-Longest Nonstop Flights

Credit: Shutterstock

Timed up to 14 hours and five minutes, Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) back to LHR is BA’s sixth-longest nonstop operation. It is served daily on the 215-seat and 216-seat 787-9. The most significant development is that this route will be extended to Melbourne Airport (MEL) in January next year. BA last flew to Victoria in 2006.

When nonstop and one-stop flights are combined, this will become the airline’s new second-longest service overall. Fellow oneworld member Finnair will also start MEL flights soon, while Qantas will once again have MEL-Perth-LHR same-plane, same-flight-number service.

In seventh place for nonstop activity is Bangkok back to LGW (13 hours and 20 minutes; three to six weekly 777-200ER), followed by Mauritius back to LGW (up to 12 hours and 35 minutes; three weekly 777-200ER), Cape Town back to LHR (up to 12 hours and 10 minutes; daily to three daily A350-1000/777-200ER/777-300ER/787-9), and LHR to Mexico City (up to 12 hours; five weekly to daily 787-9).