British Airways cuts European routes for summer 2026, most of them to Germany
British Airways will scale back its European network next summer, dropping four routes from London as part of its 2026 schedule adjustment. The airline confirmed that flights will end effective March 29, 2026, on the following services:
- London City–Frankfurt (10 weekly, operated by BA CityFlyer)
- London Heathrow–Cologne (12 weekly)
- London Heathrow–Riga (4 weekly)
- London Heathrow–Stuttgart (14 weekly)
Half of these routes only resumed in 2023 after long absences. However, British Airways considers them as not commercially viable compared to possible alternative uses for aircraft and Heathrow slots. The carrier has not disclosed how the released capacity will be reallocated, though the launch of the new Heathrow–St. Louis service next year could absorb some of the resources.
The Cologne route, revived in 2023, will again be discontinued as BA consolidates its German operations in the Ruhr/Rhine area in Düsseldorf. The airline currently operates 33 weekly flights between Heathrow and Düsseldorf, where it is the largest airline to London. By contrast, Cologne was served less frequently and faced strong competition from Eurowings, which operates twice as many flights. As an economic powerhouse, Düsseldorf generally commands higher fares, despite higher airport charges, making it a more profitable market. BA CityFlyer however already dropped its London City–Düsseldorf route in 2024.
London City-Frankfurt and London Heathrow-Cologne/Bonn will meanwhile continue to be served by Air Dolomiti (Lufthansa) for LCY-Frankfurt and by Eurowings for both LHR-Cologne and LHR-Stuttgart. Eurowings has 14 weekly frequencies to Cologne and 18 weekly frequencies to Stuttgart.
When BA exits, Eurowings will then be the only airline connecting Stuttgart and London. The cut is notable for another strong economic center in Germany. The London-Stuttgart air link records nearly 250,000 round-trip passengers per year. However, Stuttgart is plagued -like most German airports- by high operating costs.
As an example, Delta Air Lines pulled out from its flights to Atlanta at the end of 2024. While Air France recently announced to stop flying its two daily frequencies from Paris CDG to Stuttgart at the end of March.
Related News Stories: United cuts off Starlink connectivity after cockpit glitch Airlines suspend temporarily flights to Qatar and UAE airports American Airlines removes boarding gate bag sizers Air France adds direct Paris–Las Vegas flights for summer 2026 FAA warns airlines to tighten emergency evacuation protocols Two Brits found dead in hotel pool U.S. travel prices rise faster than inflation in August 2025 Qatar Airways - TravelMole Air Canada takes $270 million hit from flight attendant strike Sabre launches first AI-native class free airline revenue engine
newadmin
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers