British Airways' long-haul network is under stress due to engine troubles and fleet groundings. Because of this, the airline has had to make changes, axing some routes and delaying the launch of others. One of those routes would be its daily service between London Gatwick and New York JFK.
Temporary Suspension of Gatwick-New York Flights
The U.S. remains British Airways' single largest international market. New York is a key destination, but delays in the supply of new engines and spares means that a number of widebody aircraft have been grounded. Accordingly, the airline will suspend its daily Gatwick to New York JFK service from December 12 to March 25.
Travelers flying between London and New York still have several options with other major U.S. airlines operating the route, but the suspension could impact passengers during the busy holiday travel season when demand for seats is high.
Ongoing Engine Issues
British Airways is experiencing a severe shortage of engines and spare parts for its widebody fleet, with almost 40 planes grounded. The airline has so far only identified delays in the supply of Rolls Royce Trent 1000 engines for its 787 Dreamliner fleet.
The airline is in close cooperation with Rolls-Royce in order to resolve this situation and underlines that these delays are highly affecting schedules and passengers. It is not the first time that such issues happened with these engines; other airlines also suffered from those engine problems, which made them change some operational configurations.
British Airways is managing the schedule by reassigning aircraft from less important routes, and using Boeing 777s where possible. Some of those are in need of maintenance, making things further complex.
Other Routes Affected
The Gatwick-New York suspension isn't the only victim of British Airways' present engine problem. There's a flight cancellation between London Heathrow-Doha Hamad International Airport.
And due to the reduced fleet, plans to add a new route from London Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur have been delayed. The airline has provided a few options for customers who were booked on these cancelled or delayed flights. Gatwick passengers can rebook on one of British Airways many Heathrow to JFK flights; those headed for Doha can switch to partner airline Qatar Airways; and passengers headed to Kuala Lumpur are being rebooked on Malaysia Airlines.
Passengers who would not prefer to rebook are also entitled to a full refund, and since British Airways issues such changes well in advance, it's not difficult for travelers to adjust accordingly without facing any last-minute service disruption.
I dont think.
ReplyDelete