British Airways, the United Kingdom’s flag carrier, has made significant adjustments to its flight schedule due to ongoing issues with the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines. The airline has temporarily reduced the number of flights operated by its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet, citing a shortage of replacement engine parts.
Currently, six Boeing 787 Dreamliners, approximately 15% of British Airways’ Dreamliner fleet, have been grounded, The Sunday Times reported. These aircraft were slated to serve long-haul routes during the winter season from November 2024 to April 2025. However, the engine and its parts shortage has forced the airline to halve the number of flights between London Gatwick and New York, as well as reduce services to Qatar. Plans to reintroduce Dreamliner flights to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur have also been delayed, with the Heathrow-Kuala Lumpur route postponed until April 2025.
British Airways confirmed it will suspend its daily Gatwick-JFK service from December 12, 2024, until the end of March 2025. A spokesperson for the airline expressed regret over the disruption but emphasized the necessity of the decision due to the continued delay in receiving engine parts from Rolls-Royce.
“We’ve taken this action because we do not believe the issue will be resolved quickly, and we want to offer our customers the certainty they deserve for their travel plans. We’ve apologized to those affected and are able to offer most a flight the same day with BA or one of our partner airlines,” said the spokesperson.
The Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine has encountered recurring technical problems, which have been worsened by ongoing supply chain constraints. A spokesperson for Rolls-Royce acknowledged the challenges, stating, “We continue to work with British Airways and all our customers to minimize the impact of the limited availability of spares. Unfortunately, this issue is affecting the entire aerospace industry.”
Earlier this year, Rolls-Royce warned that supply chain disruptions would likely continue until 2026, further highlighting the long-term challenges airlines may face.
British Airways currently operates a fleet of 40 Boeing 787 Dreamliner family aircraft, according to the Planespotters.com registry.