Quiz: Could you decide where British Airways flies next?

WANT TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWERS?

Read on to find out and learn more. (Spoiler alert! The quiz answers are below.)

1. Which benefits do well-planned airline routes give customers?
Smoother, more efficient journeys with better connections and convenient timings. A well-designed hub network opens up an extraordinary range of travel possibilities. Through Heathrow, customers can seamlessly connect between hundreds of destinations worldwide. Whether travelling from Toronto to Delhi, Glasgow to Barbados or Manchester to Cape Town, carefully planned connections make global journeys simpler.

2. When two cities ‘work well together’ in an airline network, what does that really mean?
They have strong demand and connect well with other routes. Distance is only one part of the story. Some of the most successful route pairings are driven by business links, tourism and visits between friends and family. London and New York is a classic example, combining strong demand from multiple types of traveller with excellent onward connectivity.

3. Why is identifying growing travel demand a key skill for airline planners?
It helps them launch or expand successful routes early. Network planners analyse booking trends, search patterns, economic forecasts and feedback from commercial teams to identify opportunities before they become obvious. Spotting emerging demand early can be the difference between leading a market and following it. The recently launched route between Gatwick and Sri Lanka is an example of this in action.

4. How far in advance are major route and schedule decisions typically made?
Several months to a few years. Airline planning is a long-term exercise. While most travellers are thinking about their next holiday, network planners are often working many seasons ahead, carefully coordinating aircraft, schedules and airport slots to bring future routes to life. Case in point: British Airways’ London to Melbourne service launching January 2027 has been years in the making. 

5. When demand for a destination suddenly surges, what do planners typically do?
Increase frequency or capacity where possible. Major sporting events, concerts and cultural occasions can create significant spikes in demand. When opportunities arise, airlines can respond by adding flights or increasing capacity, helping more customers reach the destinations they want to visit. When Arsenal and Aston Villa reached the European finals this year the team was quick to schedule extra flights and increase capacity on existing services to Budapest and Istanbul.

6. Why is airline planning often compared to solving a jigsaw puzzle?
Every decision has trade-offs and the schedule must fit within numerous constraints. Every route forms part of a much larger network. A single schedule adjustment is like pulling a thread on a sweater – it can affect aircraft rotations, crew planning, airport slots, maintenance requirements and onward connections, which is why every piece must fit together carefully.

7. Which teams do network planners work most closely with to understand travel trends?
Sales and commercial teams, plus IAG Cargo and British Airways Holidays. Network planning is highly collaborative. Commercial teams, cargo specialists and holiday experts all provide valuable insights into customer demand, helping planners understand how travel patterns are evolving across different markets. Some of the recent frequency increases between London and India have been a result of British Airways’ commercial teams spotting market developments as they’ve happened.

8. What does success look like for a new route?
Strong customer demand and sustainable growth over time. One of the clearest signs of a successful route is strong booking performance from the moment flights go on sale. This is particularly true around popular school holiday times.

9. How do you decide which destinations get year-round flights?
By looking at whether demand is strong and consistent throughout the year. Travel trends are constantly evolving. Destinations that were once highly seasonal can become year-round favourites as customer demand grows and travel habits change. Take the Maldives, for example. While this used to be strictly a winter thing, now it’s popular year-round.

10. How do network planners decide which aircraft to allocate to each route?
They match aircraft configurations to the type of demand on the route. Not every route needs the same aircraft. British Airways operates nine different long-haul configurations, ranging from 204 to 469 seats, allowing planners to match capacity and cabin mix to the travellers using each service. Routes popular with business customers typically require more First and Club Suite seats, while leisure destinations often benefit from a greater proportion of economy seating. The challenge is simple in principle, but complex in practice: putting the right plane in the right place.