IAG Cargo Adds Colombo Route and Doubles Bangkok Service

By James Calloway

IAG Cargo has scheduled three weekly London Gatwick-Colombo services from October 2026 through March 2027, using belly capacity on British Airways passenger flights. The company will also double London Gatwick-Bangkok frequencies and increase London Heathrow-Delhi services.

The capacity increase is clear. The commercial case is not yet documented. IAG Cargo disclosed no freight volumes, rates, load factors, yields or route-level operating costs, so the schedule shows available options rather than a proven improvement in profitability.

What changes for freight forwarders?

The announced Colombo service links Sri Lanka to IAG Cargo's onward network across Europe and the Americas. The route is designed to move garments, perishables, rubber products, tyres and automotive components. For those time-sensitive exports, the direct connection is intended to provide faster and more reliable access to overseas markets. The announcement gives no commodity split, booked freight volumes or aircraft assignments.

• Colombo: Three weekly services from London Gatwick for the 2026/27 winter. British Airways launched the underlying passenger service on 23 October 2026 with three classes, and IAG Cargo will use its belly capacity.
• Bangkok: Six weekly services from London Gatwick, double the previous three.
• Delhi: Twenty-one weekly services from London Heathrow, up from 14. That increase took effect in September, before the winter schedule begins.
• North America: IAG Cargo maintains 29 destinations from London, Dublin, Madrid and Barcelona, with no Atlantic frequency increase disclosed.

Camilo Garcia Cervera, IAG Cargo's chief sales and marketing officer, said: "The introduction of Colombo, alongside additional services to Bangkok and Delhi, strengthens trade connections between Asia and key markets worldwide." He added: "these changes give freight forwarders greater choice and flexibility when planning their shipments."

Those statements describe network reach, not financial performance. More weekly services can provide more belly slots and onward connection options. They can also commit more capacity than trade demand absorbs. Without rates, yields, load factors and shipment data, freight forwarders cannot tell whether the additional choices will lower their logistics costs or merely increase them.

British Airways supplies the wider passenger network

British Airways' passenger schedule provides the operating context for IAG Cargo's belly capacity. From 9 January 2027, BA will fly to Melbourne via Kuala Lumpur, adding a second Australian destination. The service has four classes: World Traveller, World Traveller Plus, Club World and First.

BA plans to expand capacity to 11 long-haul destinations, including Bridgetown, Cape Town, Kingston, San Jose and Tokyo. It will also introduce its first retrofitted Airbus A380 and take delivery of several new aircraft during the season. The announcement does not specify the aircraft types or delivery counts, or map those additions to IAG Cargo freight capacity.

Across its short-haul network, BA plans frequency increases to Florence, Gothenburg, Jersey and Rome. BA Euroflyer will operate twice-weekly London Gatwick-Rovaniemi flights from 4 December 2026 to 4 January 2027. These passenger-network changes add context, but they are not evidence of additional belly capacity on every route.

The British Airways passenger service underpinning Colombo has launched. The winter frequency plan remains a schedule commitment, and its delivery record must be measured against actual traffic. Through March 2027, cargo volumes on Colombo, Bangkok and Delhi will show whether IAG Cargo's forecast holds. Shipment volumes, load factors, yields and repeat bookings will indicate whether the expansion becomes durable. Until those figures appear, the schedule offers more capacity and connectivity, not proof of stronger trade demand.