British Airways has axed flights from Heathrow to Abu Dhabi as airlines continue to grapple with delays at engine maker Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC (LSE:RR.).
International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (LSE:IAG)-owned BA announced the route from Britain’s busiest airport would be suspended from March to October next year.
Other flights had previously been axed as a result of the delays, which centre around Rolls-Royce’s Trent 1000 engine for BA’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
“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,” a BA spokesperson said.
“We’ve taken this action because we do not believe the issue will be solved quickly, and we want to offer our customers the certainty they deserve for their travel plans.”
BA noted passengers would have to travel to Abu Dhabi via Doha or Dubai instead or take off from London’s Gatwick airport.
“We’ve apologised to those affected and are able to offer the vast majority a flight the same day with British Airways or one of our partner airlines,” the spokesperson added.
“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.”
BA previously said flights between Gatwick and New York would be suspended from December due to the delays, with Rolls-Royce having set up a task force to address the issues.
Rolls-Royce shares dropped 1.7% on Thursday, while IAG slipped 0.9%.