KUALA LUMPUR – British Airways has cited delays in engine and parts deliveries from Rolls-Royce as the reason for the last-minute cancellation of its flights to Kuala Lumpur.
In a statement from the Heathrow-based carrier, published by British travel website Head for Points, British Airways confirmed that its return to Kuala Lumpur, initially scheduled to begin daily services on November 10, has now been postponed until April 2025.
This initiative is part of the airline’s £7 billion (RM42 billion) modernisation strategy. However, it has faced setbacks due to some of its 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft being grounded while awaiting essential components from Rolls-Royce.
It is understood that beginning next month, British Airways was due to operate daily flights to Kuala Lumpur aboard its 787-9 Dreamliner. However, some of these planes have now been grounded while the airline is forced to wait on its fellow British entity Rolls-Royce.
“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.
“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,” the carrier said in the October 11 statement.
It added that the action was taken as it “does not believe the issue will be solved quickly,” noting that it has been able to offer a “vast majority” of affected customers a same-day flight with British Airways or one of its partner airlines.
For the record, British Airways’ plans to restart its routes to Bangkok with a thrice-weekly service using its B777-200ER aircraft appears to be unaffected by ongoing issues plaguing the airline, which withdrew from Kuala Lumpur in March 2021 after temporarily suspending operations in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Last month, British Airways chief operations officer Rene de Groot reportedly told staffers that the airline would have no choice but to start cancelling previously scheduled flights as it continues to face issues with Rolls-Royce.
In a leaked internal memo, Groot is said to have told employees that the cancellations would only last ten days.
Netizens have also taken to social media to express their frustrations over the cancellation of flights from Kuala Lumpur to London Heathrow, with some claiming that they have been left in the dark over potential remedies.
Some X users also lamented slow customer services amid the abrupt cancellation, urging British Airways to step up its communication with flyers as many struggled to secure refunds or alternative travel options.
A number of users also cried foul as they had already paid for hotels and other bookings for their trip to Kuala Lumpur. – October 13, 2024