British Airways is set to suspend direct flights between Heathrow and Beijing from 26 October.
The news comes amid weaker passenger demand and a ban on UK flights over Russian airspace since the invasion of Ukraine, which has resulted in longer journey times on some routes.
Russia’s civil aviation authority introduced the restrictions in February 2022, in retaliation to a British ban on the country’s flag carrier Aeroflot as part of sanctions related to the war in Ukraine.
British Airways reintroduced the route in June 2023 after a three-year hiatus due to pandemic travel restrictions.
Last year, the airline described the Beijing service as “one of our most important routes”.
The route, which is flown four times a week from Heathrow, will be suspended until at least November 2025, but will keep the schedule under review.
A British Airways spokesperson said: “We will be pausing our route to Beijing from 26 October, and we’re contacting any affected customers with rebooking options or to offer them a full refund.
“We continue to operate daily flights to Shanghai and Hong Kong.”
Earlier this month Luis Gallego, chief executive of International Airlines Group, warned the company’s capacity in Asian markets was “very reduced”.
Air China and China Southern aircraft operate the same route daily – but their access to Russian airspace means their flights are up to two hours shorter than BA’s.
Chinese airlines are permitted to fly over Russia, which means they can fly the fastest route over Denmark, Sweden and Finland before entering Russian airspace.
The number of foreign tourists visiting China is also yet to return to pre-pandemic levels.
Rhys Jones, aviation editor of Head for Points, which first reported BA’s decision to axe the route, said: “When I flew back from Beijing last year, the BA Club World cabin was sparsely populated.
“Chinese tourism has not yet returned en masse post-pandemic.”
