During the course of the day, there has been much discussion around whether British Airways will operate widebodies on short-haul routes this summer. While British Airways is yet to schedule any such flights, it could certainly make sense for the British flag carrier.
Following a terrible start to the year for airlines within Europe, airlines across the continent are hoping that they may be able to salvage the summer season. While things aren’t looking great so far, there are hopes that increasing vaccination rates will open international flights for passengers. This would more likely happen on a more local basis than for long-haul flights.
Why use widebody planes on short-haul routes?
British Airways is no stranger to using different aircraft on interesting route combinations. Indeed, prior to its retirement, the airline operated transatlantic flights with its smallest Airbus aircraft. Like there was a business case for BA001, there could likely be a business case for widebodies on short-haul flights this summer.
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The first factor worth looking at is demand. Given how many were unable to take advantage of the summer holidays last year, there will already likely be increased demand for vacations this summer. With travel restrictions likely remaining in some markets, this would focus the demand on those markets that are open for travel.
One such market that is likely to be open for travelers this summer is Greece. The sunny Mediterranean destination has already said that it will accept vaccinated passengers from May. Given the certainty of the statement, it would be more favorable to travelers than a country that has not yet committed to open its borders to those vaccinated. According to Bloomberg, Greece is one of the destinations being considered.
As such, it is a bit of a no-brainer to use a larger capacity aircraft on the route if a greater demand already exists. Tied with the fact that long-haul is likely to take longer to recover, British Airways would likely have widebody aircraft to spare.
Also, consider cargo flights
Even without the increased demand from passengers, British Airways has shown us that it could be economical in some cases to operate widebody aircraft on short-haul flights.
In September, Simple Flying reported that British Airways was set to operate four Boeing 787 Dreamliner rotations between London and Athens in October 2020. Rather than increasing the capacity on the route for passengers, the British flag carrier was instead targeting the plane’s increased cargo capacity.
Commenting on the speculation regarding the airline’s widebody schedule, a British Airways spokesperson told Simple Flying,
“We keep our operation under constant review.”
One way or another, it seems almost certain that British Airways will operate widebody aircraft on short-haul flights this summer. However, exactly when and where they will fly is yet to be seen.
Where do you think we will see British Airways’ widebody aircraft this summer? Let us know what you think and why in the comments.
