British Airways flights: Airline cancels hundreds of flights this winter over Boeing 787 engine issues and shortage of planes

British Airways (BA) has been forced to ground six aircraft – 15% of its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet – because of issues finding parts for their Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines. BA has delayed the launch of its new Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur route from November 2024 to April 2025 and suspended one flight a day between Gatwick and New York and between Heathrow and Doha. 

Impacted passengers will be rebooked on flights departing the same day, albeit from a different airport, the carrier said. A BA spokesperson said: “We’re disappointed that we’ve had to make further changes to our schedule as we continue to experience delays to the delivery of engines and parts from Rolls-Royce – particularly in relation to the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines fitted to our 787 aircraft.

“We’ve taken this action because we do not believe the issues will be solved quickly and we want to offer our customers the certainty they deserve for their travel plans. We continue to work closely with Rolls-Royce to ensure the company is aware of the impact its issues are having on our schedule and customers, and seek reassurance of a prompt and reliable solution.”

BA’s engine issues reportedly stem from Rolls-Royce not keeping up with deliveries as well as issues with the engines’ longevity, as they deteriorate faster than expected and need to be replaced more often. A Rolls-Royce spokesperson said: “We continue to work with British Airways and all of our customers to minimise the impact of the limited availability of spare due to the current supply chain constraints. Unfortunately, this is an issue affecting the whole aerospace industry.”

BA also faces shortages in its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet. In a bid to reduce the number of short-notice cancellations, the airline is freeing up the equivalent of three long-haul, wide-bodied planes each day between November/December and March/April by making long-notice cancellations. The Heathrow-Kuala Lumpur route has been deferred until April 2025. People who have already booked will be offered a choice of switching to Malaysia Airlines or a full refund.

BA’s daily London Gatwick to New York JFK is off between 12 December and the end of March 2025. The third winter cancellation is one of BA’s two daily London Heathrow to Doha links.