Trent 1000 Engine Issues Impact Virgin Atlantic, BA Routes

Virgin Atlantic and British Airways (BA) are facing further network changes due to ongoing issues with Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines, which power their Boeing 787 fleets. Supply chain delays have caused both airlines to adjust schedules, impacting routes across Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas.

Virgin Atlantic has delayed the relaunch of its Tel Aviv service, initially set for March 2025, now postponed until October 26, 2025. Its new route to Accra, Ghana, has also been delayed to October 26, 2025. These changes result from the limited availability of Trent 1000 engines for its 787-9s. To minimize disruptions, Virgin is collaborating with Rolls-Royce and has codeshare options with El Al for Tel Aviv-bound passengers.

British Airways is also adjusting its network, with services between London and Kuwait, Bahrain, and Dallas-Fort Worth affected. Starting March 29, 2025, BA will suspend daily flights to Kuwait and Bahrain. The Dallas route will pause from March 29, resuming for the winter season on October 26, 2025, while American Airlines plans to add a fifth daily flight between London and Dallas for summer 2025 to maintain connectivity. Additionally, BA will reduce frequencies on its London-Miami and London-New Delhi routes.

In response to persistent Trent 1000 delays, BA has selected GE’s GEnx-1B engines for future 787s, marking a shift away from Rolls-Royce. Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce is working to improve the Trent 1000’s performance with a high-pressure turbine blade upgrade, aiming for FAA certification soon.

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