British Airways Boeing 787 assignments at London Heathrow shifted in 2026, with the aircraft pulled from five routes and a sixth ending soon. The changes run through the airline’s schedule through October 2027, and some of the same aircraft are still set to move around again.
Ch-aviation lists 43 examples of the Boeing 787 in British Airways’ fleet, including 18 787-9s with 215 or 216 seats, 13 787-10s with 256 seats and 12 787-8s with 204 seats. That mix helps explain why the airline can swap variants between routes rather than leaving one type tied to a single long-haul mission.
London Heathrow route shifts
British Airways started flying the Boeing 787 on the very short London Heathrow to Madrid service in late October 2026, mainly for freight work in partnership with Iberia to South America. In October 2026, it also put the type on new routes from London Heathrow to San Jose, Costa Rica, and Tampa, then returned it to Johannesburg after last using that equipment there in March 2024.
Those route changes show how British Airways is redistributing Dreamliner capacity from London Heathrow. All of its Boeing 787s are currently based there, even as the airline says 787-10s will eventually operate from London Gatwick.
Newark Liberty schedule
The sharpest friction in the schedule comes at Newark Liberty International Airport, where British Airways has two daily flights from London Heathrow. Until November 7, the 235-seat 777-200ER and the 256-seat 787-10 each operate daily on the route, but between November 8 and 10 the 777-200ER coexists with the 258-seat 777-300ER.
The 787-10 then reappears between November 11 and 14, and the Dreamliner’s penultimate operation is scheduled for November 20. The 787 shows up again on November 30, yet no 787 flights are currently scheduled beyond that date on the London Heathrow to Newark Liberty International Airport route.
British Airways’ 2027 pattern
British Airways’ 787s were scheduled on November 3 to fly from London Heathrow to 46 destinations between December 2026 and October 2027, which means the pattern can still change after these route cuts. The airline will fly the 787-9 to Melbourne via Kuala Lumpur in January 2027 with a daily operation, then use the 777-200ER on the London Heathrow to Newark Liberty International Airport route starting in March 2027.
The most practical reading for passengers is simple: the Dreamliner has not left British Airways’ Heathrow network, but its role is being narrowed and reshuffled. Anyone booked on the affected Heathrow routes should expect aircraft assignments to keep changing as the airline works through the 2027 schedule.
