Heathrow airport has announced the addition of two new airlines and six new routes set to take off from the UK hub airport.
From new Virgin Atlantic services to Phuket and British Airways’ new route to Melbourne, to new airline entrants Xiamen Airlines and beOnd, the new additions are anticipated to strengthen Heathrow’s position as one of the world’s most connected airports.
Winter 2026-2027 is set to see the launch of a slew of new routes departing from Heathrow Airport. These include services to Phuket, Thailand (Virgin Atlantic, three times a week); Melbourne, Australia (British Airways, daily from 9 January 2027); San Jose, Costa Rica (British Airways, five flights a week); and Fuerteventura, Canary Islands (British Airways, two flights a week from 13 December 2026).
In addition to services from airlines already serving the airport; Xiamen Airlines has now begun offering flights to Xiamen, China three times a week, whilst beOnd will begin offering services to The Red Sea, Saudi Arabia, three times a week from 15 December 2026.
Heathrow’s Chief Customer Officer Ross Baker said:We're delighted to welcome two new airlines and a range of new routes this winter, giving passengers even more choice and strengthening the UK's connections to the world.
The arrival of new airlines demonstrates the continued demand from carriers to operate from Heathrow, but with the airport operating at capacity, expansion is needed so we can continue adding new routes, growing our airline network and helping the UK remain competitive on the world stage.
