British Airways (BA) has thrown a spanner in the works of festive plans for countless Brits and Americans after shutting down all flights between New York and a major London airport.
The airline announced the disappointing news, impacting travellers flying through John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport in Queens, near Manhattan.
It is not their fault, though, the airline has stressed. Instead, the airline explained it was due to their engines provider.
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But given that many like to jet off from either the States or London to the other for a Christmassy break - or in particular those heading stateside for Thanksgiving - the timing could not have been worse.
Why has British Airways cancelled flights between New York and London?
British Airways says it has taken the decision so as not to leave passengers in limbo and searching for last-minute fixes for their winter plans.
Issuing a statement on the decision, a total of 103 flights over the North Atlantic Ocean have been scrapped for the remainder of 2024 and a big chunk of 2025.
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The flights are between London Gatwick and JFK International airports, with BA saying that this is down to Rolls-Royce not delivering engines and parts that are essential for their Boeing 787 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 - particularly in relation to the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines fitted to our 787 aircraft," 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.
'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."
They 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."
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What has Rolls-Royce said on the issue?
While it was established as a car brand, nowadays Rolls-Royce is one of the world's largest makers of aircraft engines.
It is second in the world to CFM International, producing engines for the Boeing 787, Airbus A350WXB, Air China, Qatar Airways, and Emirates, to name just a few.
“We continue to work with British Airways and all of our customers to minimise the impact of the limited availability of spares due to the current supply chain constraints," a Rolls-Royce spokesperson said on the issue.
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“Unfortunately, this is an issue affecting the whole aerospace industry.”
How can I fly between New York and London?
New York has three main airports, with Newark International Airport handling many domestic and international flights if you are still set on flying with BA.
Likewise in London, you can fly from Heathrow and London Gatwick airports, with the prior offering eight flights a day to JFK and the latter offering nine.
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You won't be stuck for choice, whatever you're doing. If you're impacted, our best bet is to approach the airport directly for how they can accommodate you in other means.
Flights from London Gatwick Airport to JFK will resume from 25 March, 2025.
Topics: Christmas, Holiday, London, New York, Travel, UK News, US News
Tom Earnshaw