BRITISH Airways has suspended all flights to the popular tourist destination from a major British airport.
The route from London Heathrow to Abu Dhabi has been suspended due to engine problems on the airline’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
The break should last from March 30 to October 25 next year.
Passengers who have already booked flights during this period will be forced to fly via Dubai or Doha instead – or switch to a flight via London Gatwick.
It comes just months after BA restarted flights to the popular UEA capital for the first time since the pandemic four years ago.
A BA spokesman told The Sun: “We are disappointed to have had to make further changes to our schedule as we continue to experience delays in the delivery of engines and parts from Rolls-Royce – particularly in relation to the Rolls-Royce Royce Trent 1000 engines fitted to our 787 aircraft.
“We took this action because we don’t believe we can solve the problem quickly, and we want to offer our customers the security they deserve for their travel plans.
“We have apologized to those affected and can offer the vast majority a same-day flight with British Airways or one of our partner airlines.
“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 assurances of a swift and reliable resolution.”
Passengers who still wish to go direct to Abu Dhabi have the option of rebooking with one of BA’s partner airlines – Etihad or Qatar Airways.
However, it will only be eligible if the flight date is less than 14 days from the date of booking.
The airline also offers full refunds for all canceled flights.
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The airline first mentioned the problems with its 787 fleet in October this year after it delayed the relaunch of its route to Kuala Lumpur, which was due to take place in November.
The same delayed waiting time for delivery of engine parts was quoted.
The route is now due to reopen on 1 April 2025.
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IT’S more engine trouble for British Airways as global supply constraints force it to cancel yet another route.
The news that flights to Abu Dhabi are being canceled follows the shock announcement in October that the flagship airline was forced to ground six planes – 15 percent of its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet – due to problems finding parts for Rolls Royce Trent 1000 engines.
The launch of its new route from Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur has been delayed from November this year to April next year and the airline has suspended one daily flight between Gatwick and New York and between Heathrow and Doha.
Flights to Beijing, China have also been suspended until November next year.
The airline is facing a number of challenges – not least because of the Rolls Royce engine problems.
The massive growth of airlines across the Middle East has seen BA increasingly compete with multiple airlines including Emirates, Qatar and Etihad.
In addition, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine has meant that eastbound flights have to divert around Russian airspace, which takes longer and uses more fuel.
With little indication that parts supply will improve anytime soon, we could see more airlines forced to cut routes as they deal with the situation.
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British Airways has canceled all its flights to Abu Dhabi from London HeathrowCredit: Alamy
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