British Airways has dismissed speculation that it will be the next and final European carrier to withdraw from Australia, instead underlining its ongoing commitment to the Kangaroo Route.
However, despite recent conjecture, BA insisted it will not be following suit. Nicole Backo, regional commercial manager for South West Pacific, insisted referred to the airline’s “long and proud” history of flying to Australia spanning almost 80 years.
“The Kangaroo route is vital to the strengthening of our global business,” she said. “We have continued to invest in it with new planes and new products, and we’re seeing an increase in passengers year-on-year.”
Backo attributed the growth to the airline’s offer of “alternative” routes to Europe and other parts of the world, with a growing list of Asian stopover destination offering additional flexibility to travellers.
Hong Kong is the latest to be added to that list, joining Tokyo, Singapore, Shanghai, Chengdu and Bangkok. It means those travelling on a BA flight code are now eligible to stopover in Hong Kong for personal or business reasons – previously not possible due to airline traffic rights.
“The increase in stopover destinations is a real bonus for our passengers,” Backo said. “It provides far more flexibility to explore or do business in the likes of Hong Kong or Singapore, without the hassle of having to find additional connecting flights at additional costs.”
While he admitted Australia "wasn't a big market" for the airline, he reported “very good” bookings for the service and insisted BA remains committed to Sydney.
The airline last year deployed Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on its Sydney service featuring updated cabins and improved fuel efficiency.
