(Bloomberg) -- British Airways said it’s been forced to cancel some long-haul flights as the UK carrier suffers from issues afflicting its Boeing Co. 787 aircraft that are having knock-on effects on other parts of its fleet.
Customers whose flights were canceled were notified by the IAG SA-owned carrier that it had to temporarily ground some 787 aircraft amid unspecified engine issues, according to a notification seen by Bloomberg.
The carrier said it continues to “experience delays to the delivery of engines and parts” from Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc, particularly for the Trent 1000 model powering the 787 jets.
“We do not believe the issue will be solved quickly,” British Airways said in a statement. “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.”
Rolls-Royce said it’s working with British Airways “and all of our customers to minimize the impact of the limited availability of spares due to the current supply chain constraints.”
British Airways has been using Boeing 777 planes that it has on standby to avoid cancellations, but the heavier use of those older jets means they require routine maintenance and sufficient downtime.
Rolls-Royce said the issue goes beyond British Airways, highlighting how a persistent shortage of components continues to affect the aviation industry. British Airways recently switched over to General Electric to power its new set of 787 aircraft, dealing a blow to Rolls-Royce, which has seen its market share on that model dwindle.
The Trent 1000 was previously plagued by technical issues, causing disruption for carriers using that model. Rolls-Royce has since sought to improve the reliability of the powerplant, alongside other engines such as the Trent XWB used on the Airbus SE A350 model.
British Airways is in the middle of a fleet upgrade cycle, though like many airlines around the world the company has been hit by delivery delays. The 777X, the next-generation of the popular 777 aircraft is already about five years behind schedule, forcing carriers to to use their existing aircraft for longer or outright cancel some routes.
(Updates with comment from British Airways)
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