British Airways Dreamliner returns to Sydney after cockpit fuel smell prompts mayday

British Airways' Boeing 787-9 fleet has an average age of about 9.3 years and consists of 18 aircraft. The specific Dreamliner involved is about 9.2 years old and powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines. It can carry up to 216 passengers in four classes: eight in first class, 42 in business class, 39 in premium economy, and 127 in economy class according to ch-aviation data. As of January 31, 2025, this aircraft had logged nearly 37,900 flight hours across more than 4,100 cycles.

In addition to its fleet of Boeing 787-9s, British Airways operates twelve smaller-capacity 787-8s and twelve higher-capacity 787-10s. The airline also expects delivery of thirty-eight additional 787-10s.

The carrier usually deploys its long-range Boeing 787-9s on routes from London Heathrow (LHR) to Asia-Pacific destinations such as Singapore (SIN), Kuala Lumpur (KUL), Shanghai (PVG), Delhi (DEL), and Tokyo Haneda (HND). Sometimes these planes are also used for shorter routes like Dubai (DXB).

British Airways operates only one daily service between London and Sydney via Singapore under flight number BA16 using a Boeing 787-9. This route resumed after being suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic; flights restarted in April 2022.

Between November and March during recent winter seasons—including November-March periods spanning from late 2022 through early 2025—the airline substituted its usual Dreamliners for larger-capacity Boeing 777-300ERs on this route due to increased demand during Southern Hemisphere summer months.