• British Airways, Cabin Crew Training, Customer Service
    British Airways
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    BA/BAW
    Airline Type:
    Full Service Carrier
    Hub(s):
    London Heathrow Airport, London Gatwick Airport
    Year Founded:
    1974
    Alliance:
    oneworld
    Airline Group:
    IAG
    CEO:
    Sean Doyle
    Country:
    United Kingdom
  • Tom Boon-069
    Frankfurt Airport
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    FRA/EDDF
    CEO:
    Stefan Schulte
    Passenger Count :
    24,814,921 (2020)
    Runways :
    07L/25R 2,800m (9,240ft) | 07C/25C 4,000m (13,123ft) | 07R/25L 4,000m (13,123ft) | 18 4,000m (13,123ft)
    Terminals:
    Lufthansa First Class Terminal | Terminal 1 | Terminal 2 | Terminal 3 (Under Construction)
    Country:
    Germany

British Airways will fly its Boeing widebodies to Frankfurt Airport on several rotations over the coming months. The British flag carrier is likely scheduling the widebodies on the routes due to increased cargo demand. This demand has previously seen the giant Airbus A380 hopping between the two European airports.

As two important financial centers on the European continent, the London-Frankfurt flight route has always been well-served by several carriers. This is especially true of Lufthansa and British Airways, operating multiple daily frequencies. The general focus of both is low capacity with higher frequencies, making it unusual for British Airways to be calling in the big jets.

What's planned?

According to the latest schedule information from Cirium, British Airways is planning 31 short-haul widebody flights to destinations typically served by the Airbus A320 family between February and April.

shutterstock_357854300
Photo: Vytautas Kielaitis / Shutterstock.com

Twenty-seven of the rotations will be bound for Frankfurt Airport (FRA) across the three months, while Berlin Airport (BER) and Dublin Airport (DUB) will also each see two widebody rotations in March as follows,

Airport

Aircraft

February

March

April

Frankfurt (FRA)

Boeing 777

1

6

11

Frankfurt (FRA)

Boeing 787-9

1

1

7

Berlin (BER)

Boeing 777

2

Dublin (DUB)

Boeing 777

2

Total

2

11

18

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How to book the widebodies

According to the British Airways schedule, as confirmed by Cirium's data, the widebody flights will operate on the following days,

  • Frankfurt (FRA)
    • February 18, 25
    • March 4, 6, 7, 11, 16, 23, 24
    • April 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 12 (x2), 14, 17, 18, 19, 21, 24, 25, 26, 28
  • Berlin (BER)
    • March 4, 25
  • Dublin (DUB)
    • March 5, 7

One can confirm that the widebody is scheduled for their flight by checking the seating plan or flight details. In the below screenshot from Google Flights, you can see that the 15:20 flight is planned with a Boeing 787, the 17:50 flight has a Boeing 777, and the 20:40 flight has an Airbus A320 planned. As passengers are welcome on these flights, it is an excellent opportunity to experience a premium cabin that may otherwise be out of their price or travel range. Some flights are scheduled to operate with the 1-2-1 club suite product introduced in the summer of 2019.

BA April 12th
Photo: Google Flights

Anybody hoping to fly on a specific aircraft or seat type should be aware that schedule changes may be possible, and they may be disappointed. Such changes may be more likely than usual with these cargo flights.

Why fly the widebodies to Frankfurt, Berlin, and Dublin?

In the case of British Airways' short-haul widebody flights, the reason is almost always because the airline's cargo partner, IAG Cargo, is forecasting an exceptionally high cargo demand on the route. The widebody aircraft have much more space for cargo in its belly, along with a much higher maximum takeoff weight.

2022-178
Photo: Tom Boon - Simple Flying

In this case, British Airways is simply adding the cargo capacity to existing scheduled flights. In the past, the airline has sent the Airbus A380 to Frankfurt solely to handle increased cargo demand, with no passenger tickets on sale onboard the aircraft. It costs the airline more to land a widebody at the relevant airports, meaning the additional cargo income must be significant, as the flight is unlikely to attract more passengers than usual.

Will you try to fly on a British Airways short-haul widebody flight? Let us know what you think and why in the comments below.

Sources: British Airways, Cirium