British Airways has announced it will suspend its London Heathrow (LHR) to Chengdu, China (CTU) service beginning in mid-January.
“We regret that we have decided to suspend the Heathrow to Chengdu route. We have a proud tradition of flying to China but despite operating this route for three years it is not commercially viable,” the carrier said in a statement.
The final outbound flight from Heathrow is scheduled for January 12, 2017, with the last return service departing Chengdu the following day. British Airways first introduced the route in 2013.
At the route’s launch, Willie Walsh, then CEO of IAG, described Chengdu as a strategically important destination, noting its rapid economic growth across industries such as automotive, electronics, information technology, software and pharmaceuticals.
Initially operated three times weekly, the service increased to five weekly flights in summer 2014 after British Airways moved from a Boeing 777 to a Boeing 787. During winter months the schedule was reduced back to three flights per week.