British Airways is returning to Melbourne

British Airways has now confirmed that it will return to Melbourne Airport from January 2027, restoring a BA-operated link between Melbourne and London for the first time in more than 20 years.

The new service will begin on the 11th of January 2027, operating daily, year-round between London Heathrow (LHR/EGLL) and Melbourne (MEL/YMML), with a stop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (KUL/WMKK). BA will use its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

Interesting fact, BA will use its existing London–Kuala Lumpur service, with passengers continuing on to Melbourne. The individual Kuala Lumpur–Melbourne sector will also be available for booking.

British Airways last operated its own flights to Melbourne in March 2006. Its service was London Heathrow–Singapore–Melbourne, operated daily. BA subsequently withdrew the Melbourne sector and transferred it to Qantas under the airlines' Joint Services Agreement.

Here is also another interesting fact: this isn't the first time BA had withdrawn from Melbourne. BA had operated Melbourne previously, withdrew the route in 1998, and brought it back in 2001, before withdrawing again in 2006.

The planned schedule is:

• Flight BA33 will depart London Heathrow at approximately 9:10pm, arriving in Kuala Lumpur at 6:05pm the following day.
• The aircraft will then continue to Melbourne, arriving at approximately 6:40am, two days after leaving London.
• Flight BA34, will depart Melbourne at 4:35pm, arriving in Kuala Lumpur at 9:35pm. After a short stop, the aircraft will continue to London Heathrow, arriving at around 5:20am the following morning.

BA says the route is being introduced in response to renewed demand between Australia and the UK, and it will become the airline's second Australian destination after Sydney. The timing has also been planned extremely well, the service starts just ahead of the Australian Open, which begins on the 17th of January 2027, and it will be operating in time for Melbourne's major international events calendar.