Brits planning to jet off to the UAE next year could face a major disruption as British Airways has announced that it will be grounding flight routes to a key tourist hotspot in the UAE for nearly half of 2025. Specifically, direct flights between London Heathrow and Abu Dhabi will be suspended from March 31 until October 25 next year. Those who have already booked flights that may be affected by this change might need to depart from Gatwick or endure a stopover in Dubai or Doha to reach Abu Dhabi.
According to Timeout , passengers will be offered the chance to rebook flights on Etihad or Qatar Airways, BA's partners, who will continue to operate direct flights to the UAE capital. This rerouting of Abu Dhabi flights is the latest in a series of changes made by the airline in response to mechanical issues with their planes. British Airways has been forced to cancel a number of direct flights, including those between Gatwick and New York, Heathrow and Kuala Lumpur, as well as Heathrow and Doha until March or April.
This is assuming no further delays or supply chain issues occur in the next four months. The company needs new engines for many of their Boeing 787 aircraft, which are used for long-haul flights including those to Abu Dhabi. Rolls Royce, the manufacturer of these engines, has been facing supply chain problems that have resulted in delayed delivery of essential parts, leaving BA with several planes that are currently unable to fly.
With a reduced fleet, the carrier is.