British Airways to use Airbus A350-1000 on London-Nashville route from March 2026

The airline uses flight numbers BA223 for outbound and BA222 for return journeys, with scheduled flight times of nine hours and ten minutes for BA223 and eight hours and ten minutes for BA222. These times remain unchanged, though the A350 cruises slightly faster than the 777, which could result in shorter actual flight durations depending on conditions.

British Airways has built a strong network in the United States, connecting major cities and a range of secondary destinations to Europe. Although Nashville is not a hub for American Airlines or Alaska Airlines, London remains a significant European destination with high travel demand from various U.S. locations.

The Boeing 777-200ER previously used on this route features 48 Club Suites, 40 World Traveller Plus seats, and 184 World Traveller seats, totaling 272 seats. The A350-1000 offers an increase in capacity with 56 Club Suites, 56 World Traveller Plus seats, and 219 World Traveller seats, for a total of 331 seats—59 more than the 777-200ER.

Both aircraft types have similar seat models, including Collins Aerospace Vector seats with doors for Club Suites. British Airways is also retrofitting its Boeing 787-8 fleet with Club Suites, but these updated Dreamliners have not yet been deployed to Nashville. Business class passengers flying to Nashville in winter still use the older Club World seats configured seven-abreast on the Dreamliner.

The shift to the larger A350-1000 indicates strong demand and high yields on this route. The aircraft’s configuration closely matches that of the 777-200ER, but it includes a smaller galley area to allow for more seats. Passengers will notice little difference in seat type or layout in premium cabins. In economy, however, travelers may benefit from wider seats since the A350 has one fewer seat per row compared to the 777. The A350 also features a quieter cabin, a modern interior design, and lower cabin altitude, though its windows are smaller.

Additionally, the A350-1000 provides greater cargo capacity due to its size, which is comparable to the Boeing 777-300ER. This allows British Airways to carry more freight on this relatively short transatlantic route.

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