LONDON- Richard Branson-backed Virgin Atlantic (VS) customers are experiencing flight cancellations to Tel Aviv (TLV) and Accra (ACC) due to delays in maintenance of the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines on Boeing 787 Dreamliners aircraft, one of the most popular long-haul planes.
Virgin Atlantic is expected to finalize additional cancellations this weekend because of ongoing issues with the Rolls-Royce engines.
Virgin Atlantic Flights Cancellation
The affected flights are the summer 2025 planned launch to Accra, Ghana, and the delayed return of flights to Tel Aviv, Israel. Other airlines, including Air New Zealand (NZ) and British Airways (BA), have also been forced to cancel flights for the same reason.
Virgin’s fleet includes 17 Dreamliners; one of these aircraft is grounded, and another may be grounded next year, sources revealed to The Times.
The Trent 1000 engine has faced engineering issues for over a decade, requiring frequent maintenance that results in planes being grounded for extended periods. This has led to a backlog in engine servicing.
To mitigate disruptions, airlines have redeployed other aircraft to maintain operations, but this has increased maintenance needs across fleets due to longer flying hours.
Rolls-Royce stated that resolving these issues is its “top priority.” A company spokesman added, “We’re taking decisive action and moving quickly to prioritize the resources needed to reduce the impact.”
Official Remarks
A Rolls-Royce spokesperson stated to The Times that addressing the impact of supply chain constraints on Trent 1000 engines is a top priority. “We’ve established an internal Trent 1000 task force that leverages our engineering and technology expertise, bringing together teams from operations, supply chain, engineering, technology, safety, and planning.”
The spokesperson highlighted progress in addressing the issue, noting, “This year, we’ve increased Trent 1000 supply chain output by one-third, ensuring more components are available and reducing the time engines spend in our maintenance, repair, and overhaul centers.”
Virgin Atlantic has announced delays in planned routes due to these issues. “We have made the difficult decision to delay the restart of our service to Tel Aviv to winter 2025-26 and to push back our new service to Accra to the same season,” said a Virgin Atlantic spokesperson. The airline cited continued delays in the delivery of Trent 1000 engines and parts as a primary factor.
Virgin Atlantic confirmed with The Times that it is working with Rolls-Royce to minimize disruptions. Affected customers will be contacted starting Monday, November 11, to discuss their options, including rebooking with another carrier, rescheduling, or receiving a refund.
British Airways has also canceled flights on multiple international routes following the same engine issues. The London-based carrier will suspend flights to Bahrain (BAH) and Kuwait (KWI) from March 2025. Further, BA has postponed its planned return to Kuala Lumpur (KUL) by at least six months.
The airline will also suspend London Heathrow (LHR) and Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) from March 30, 2025, until the end of Summer. But it will restart next winter.
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