Travelers planning a trip to London have lost one route option.
British Airways recently revealed it would be suspending service on flights between New York’s JFK Airport and London’s Gatwick Airport in the coming months. The airline cites delays in receiving engines and parts from manufacturer Rolls-Royce as the reason for the flight suspension.
“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,” a representative from British Airways shared with Travel + Leisure in a statement.
British Airways didn’t confirm the number of flights being canceled, or the duration.
As a resolution for affected passengers, British Airways has been reaching out to passengers and rebooking them on airline partners or to another London-based airport such as Heathrow, where the airline will continue to operate service.
Looking ahead to 2025, British Airways is still predicting a "record-breaking" summer for travel between the United Kingdom and North America. The airline recently revealed they would be operating more than 400 direct weekly flights at peak times, between the regions than ever before. The airline operates additional direct flights from Austin, Las Vegas, Miami, Pittsburgh, and Washington, DC.
The airline is also expanding for 2025 with a new lounge at Miami International Airport. The 13,000 square foot traveler oasis will feature a "new lounge design", and be located near British Airways' departure gates, T+L reported in September.
British Airways recently introduced a new codeshare agreement with Alaska Airlines, allowing for easier booking on each other's flights as well as reciprocal loyalty benefits. This will be an added benefit for members of British Airways’ Executive Club loyalty program which was recently ranked as one of the top five airline loyalty programs.
Over 38 million people visited the United Kingdom in 2023, which was higher than the 31.2 million who visited in 2022, according to government data.