British Airways will launch a new service between London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and Melbourne Airport (MEL) via Kuala Lumpur from 9 January 2027. The route will be British Airways' second Australian destination, alongside its existing Heathrow-Sydney service, offering four cabins including First, according to the British Airways Media Centre.
The airline is timing the launch around two major Melbourne events: the Australian Open tennis tournament and the Melbourne Grand Prix, both of which generate strong inbound demand from the United Kingdom and Europe. The route connects London passengers to Melbourne via a Kuala Lumpur stop, with the return journey following the same routing.
The Melbourne launch is part of British Airways' winter 2026/27 network expansion, which includes four new routes and a 9% increase in long-haul capacity, Aviation24.be reports. The programme also includes the London Gatwick-Colombo route, which launched on 23 October 2026, and a Gatwick-Rovaniemi winter service.
British Airways has not yet confirmed the specific aircraft type for the Melbourne service.
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