Virgin Atlantic to make major route changes as engine woes start to bite 

Virgin Atlantic has announced some changes to its route network as the carrier deals with ongoing issues relating to Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines that power its fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Services to Cancun in Mexico join the British airline’s route network. However, the commencement of flights to Accra in Ghana in 2025 has been postponed as has the carrier’s resumption of services to Tel Aviv in Israel.  

Cancun will join the Virgin network on October 19, 2025, with three weekly flights from London-Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Cancun International Airport (CUN) for the northern winter of 2025. All flights between the cities are to be operated by the carrier’s 12-strong fleet of Airbus A350-1000 widebodies, which will accommodate 397 in a three-class layout (16 in business class, 56 in premium economy, and 325 in economy class). Additionally, all aircraft feature the airline’s Upper Class (business class) social space called ‘The Booth’.   

According to the carrier, the new flights “will provide easy access to Central America, offering customers premium sunshine holidays to the amazing beaches, history, nightlife and food scene of Mexico.” The route will be the only direct service between London-Heathrow to Cancun, which will also offer onward connections via Virgin Atlantic’s SkyTeam partner Aeromexico and codeshare partner LATAM to destinations that will include Mexico City, Santiago, Buenos Aries, and Lima. 

Virgin AtlanticVirgin Atlantic’s leisure partner, Virgin Atlantic Holidays, will be offering a variety of vacation options using the new services. These will range from luxury boutique properties, adults-only resorts, and family-friendly all-inclusive hotels located both in Cancun and on the Riviera Maya.   

“We’re delighted to be returning to Cancun, offering customers a new destination for some winter sun,” said Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Offer, Virgin Atlantic.  

“Cancun has an amazing nightlife and dining scene, dreamy sandy beaches, plus it’s the perfect gateway to Mayan ruins and adventure travel in the region. Our new route also offers increased connectivity to the region with our codeshare partner LATAM and SkyTeam partner Aeromexico. We can’t wait for more of our customers to enjoy Virgin Atlantic’s trademark fiesta and flair, on their way to Mexico,” he added. 

Andres Martinez, Director of the Tourism Promotion Council of Quintana Roo, said: “In this New Era of the Mexican Caribbean, expanding international connectivity has been a top priority as travelers continue to showcase strong interest in exploring our twelve iconic destinations and rich Mayan culture. The addition of this Virgin Atlantic flight from London Heathrow to Cancun will further strengthen Cancun International Airport’s position as one of the most in-demand airports in the world, and we look forward to welcoming new and returning visitors from the United Kingdom to our paradise.” 

GCmap.comDreamliner engine issues 

However, the new route to Mexico comes at a cost to other routes on the airline’s network. The carrier’s much-heralded entry into the London to Ghana market (which was only announced in September 2024) has been shelved for the time being, as has its return to Tel Aviv in Israel. The decision to put these routes on ice has been driven by due to delays in maintenance of the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines on Boeing 787 Dreamliners aircraft, according to the airline.  

Virgin Atlantic has a fleet of 17 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners which are all powered by this engine type. According to The Times, one of these is currently grounded while a second may be grounded next year. This is clearly having a detrimental impact on the carrier’s flight operations program, as evidenced by the route postponements.  

Abdul N Quraishi – Abs / ShutterstockThe Trent 1000 engine has faced engineering issues for over a decade, requiring frequent maintenance inputs that result in aircraft being grounded for extended periods, leading to a backlog in engine servicing. Other airlines have also been forced to cancel flights for the same reason, including Air New Zealand and British Airways.  

“We have made the difficult decision to delay the restart of our service to Tel Aviv to winter 2025/26 and to push back our new service to Accra to the same season,” said a Virgin Atlantic spokesperson.  

Virgin Atlantic confirmed to The Times that it is working with Rolls-Royce to minimize disruptions. Affected customers will be contacted starting November 11, to discuss their options, including rebooking with another carrier, rescheduling, or receiving a refund. 

Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce stated that resolving these issues was a “top priority.” A company spokesman added: “We’re taking decisive action and moving quickly to prioritize the resources needed to reduce the impact.” 

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