British Airways to axe Kolkata-London Heathrow services from March 2009

Kolkata: British Airways (BA) has announced suspension of its services between the eastern Indian metro of Kolkata and London Heathrow from 28 March 2009, citing lack of business. In a statement the UK flag carrier said, "The decision to suspend flights between Kolkata and London has been a difficult one to make. However, the route is not making a profitable contribution to our business and we are unable to sustain it."

According to Amanda Amos, area commercial manager, south Asia, the airline would contact customers who are booked to travel with the airline from Kolkata after 28 March 2009 for making alternate arrangements.

Emphasising that India remained an important market for the BA, the statement said, "we continue to offer our customers an extensive network in India." It said passengers and cargo customers could avail of BA services from other Indian gateways.

The BA has operated services to Kolkata with breaks since the 1930s and currently operates three weekly flights between the city and London Heathrow.