National media reported 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.
“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,” a BA spokesperson said.
“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.
“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,” said a Rolls-Royce spokesperson.
“Unfortunately, this is an issue affecting the whole aerospace industry.”
TTG has approached Rolls-Royce for further comment.
It comes nearly a month after British Airways signed a six-year deal to purchase more than £9 million worth of carbon removals credits in the UK and overseas.
Carbon removal credits involve the capture of CO2 from industry and its treatment.
