British Airways (BA) is set to transform Australian travel by introducing daily direct flights from London Heathrow to Melbourne.

The service extends BA's existing Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur flight, making Melbourne its second Australian destination after Sydney (via Singapore).

Travellers can expect the Boeing 777 or Airbus A380 aircraft on the 21-hour journey, with economy fares starting around £800 return based on typical long-haul pricing.

Currently, airline Qantas offers non-stop flights from Heathrow to Perth outbound but requires a Singapore fuel stop inbound due to Middle East airspace issues. However, BA's new travel route avoids this.

The new service will be launched on 11 January 2027, perfectly aligned with the Australian Open in January and the Gran Prix in March – both taking place in Melbourne.

CEO Neil Chernoff, British Airways' chief planning and strategy officer, highlighted this as part of a "significant investment" in long-haul leisure, adding capacity amid high demand.

BA is also introducing three weekly returns to Colombo from October 23, 2026, as well as more flights to Cape Town, Tokyo, San Jose, and New Orleans.

Chernoff added: "We're delighted to announce sizeable growth to our flying schedule for winter 2026, including two notable new destinations that I'm confident will prove popular with our customers.

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"We're also increasing services across several high-demand routes around the world.

"Together, these changes represent a significant investment in our long-haul leisure network, adding even more options and choice for our customers.