British Airways Hands Dallas Fort Worth Summer Flights To American Airlines Due To Boeing 787 Rolls-Royce Engine Delays

British Airways has confirmed that it will abandon its flights to Dallas due to continuous supply problems related to the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000, one of the engine options for the Boeing 787 aircraft.

Trent 1000 supply issues

In a statement to Simple Flying, British Airways confirmed that it would discontinue the London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) route during the upcoming International Air Transport Association ( IATA) summer season.

“We’re disappointed that we’ve had to make further changes to our schedule as we continue to experience delays to the delivery of engines and parts from Rolls-Royce – particularly in relation to the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines fitted to our 787 aircraft.”

The spokesperson added that the carrier acted since it did not have hope that these problems would be solved quickly. As a result, the decision will provide certainty for customers who had planned to fly on the route.

“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.”

During the summer season, which will begin on March 30, 2025, and run until October 26, 2025, British Airways had planned to operate daily flights on the route, data from the aviation analytics company Cirium showed.

The airline scheduled the Airbus A380 to fly between London and Dallas in March 2025, with the A350-1000 taking over between April 2025 and October 2025.

However, British Airways could return to the London to Dallas itinerary either during the upcoming winter season or the summer season in 2026 if the issues related to the supply of Trent 1000 engines and spare parts are solved in the next few months.

American Airlines covering British Airways’ exit

Despite British Airways pausing flights between London and Dallas, American Airlines has scheduled a substantial increase in flights on the route.

The British carrier’s oneworld partner has scheduled 35 weekly flights from Dallas to London during the upcoming summer season, with the airline adding one daily flight compared to the summer schedule in 2024.

When American Airlines announced its expanded schedule to Italy in 2025 on November 1, it said that it would add daily flights each from Dallas and Miami International Airport (MIA) to London Heathrow, as well as open a new service between Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD).

Cirium data showed that American Airlines will run two daily flights from Miami to London during the upcoming summer season.

Switching allegiances

While British Airways ordering the British-designed – but certified in Germany under Rolls-Royce Deutschland – Trent 1000 engine seemed like the perfect match, the airline’s patience had run out.

During the Farnborough International Airshow in July, GE Aerospace, which supplies the other 787 engine, the GEnx, announced that International Airlines Group (IAG), the parent company of British Airways, has ordered its powerplant to power six of the airline’s 787 aircraft.

Currently, all 41 British Airways 787s have Trent 1000 engines mounted on their wings.

The switch from Trent 1000 to GEnx was just one of the cases in which carriers chose the latter. When LATAM Airlines ordered five additional 787s in December 2023, the airline group’s chief financial officer, Ramiro Alfonsin, said that the GEnx engines would provide greater flexibility and options to expand its long-haul fleet.

According to ch-aviation data, none of the 37 LATAM Airlines 787 aircraft are currently equipped with the Trent 1000 engine.