American Airlines
is another airline currently facing problems due to delays in the delivery of Boeing 787 Dreamliner widebody aircraft. As a result, the Dallas Fort Worth-based airline has been forced to reduce the frequency of some of its long-haul flights and adjust its long-haul international route network for the upcoming spring season, according to a report by The Points Guy.

The news comes days after IAG-owned British Airways confirmed it would cancel summer flights between London Heathrow (LHR) and Abu Dhabi (AUH) due to problems with the delivery of Boeing 787 Dreamliner engines.

Affected routes

According to the report, American Airlines had to make significant adjustments to its long-haul international network for spring 2025.

The airline will temporarily suspend service between Miami International Airport (MIA) and Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG) in May 2025. Additionally, the airline will delay the resumption of the Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to Paris (CDG) route.

American Airlines plans to reduce the number of daily flights between Miami (MIA) and Buenos Aires Airport (EZE) from three to two flight frequencies in April 2025. Simple Flying has reached out to American Airlines for comment.

American Airlines 787 fleet

American Airlines has been flying its 787s for nearly a decade. The first delivery of a 787 to American Airlines took place on January 23, 2015. On its first flight, the Dreamliner flew between Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD).

Currently American Airlines has a large fleet of Boeing 787

Dreamliner. According to ch-aviation, the fleet includes 37 Boeing 787-8 and 22 Boeing 787-9 widebody aircraft with an average age of 6.6 years. The airline is currently waiting for 30 787-9s.

American Airlines’ 787-8s offer space for a total of 234 passengers in a four-class cabin layout: 20 in Business Class, 28 in Premium Economy, 48 in Economy Plus and 138 in Economy Class. The airline’s larger capacity 787-9, in turn, offers up to 285 seats in a four-class cabin configuration: 30 in Business Class, 21 in Premium Economy, 36 in Economy Plus and 198 in Economy Class.

According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, some of the longest routes American Airlines has flown on the 787 include:

• Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Auckland Airport (AKL) (a seasonal flight that ended in March this year)

• DFW to Shanghai Pudong International Airport (SVG) (the longest route in April)

• DFW to Seoul (ICN).

• Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) to Hamad International Airport (DOH)

Boeing 787 delivery delays

American Airlines isn’t the only airline experiencing route adjustments due to 787 delivery delays. A recent announcement states: British Airways
announced it would cut summer flights between London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and Abu Dhabi Zayed International Airport (AUH).

British Airways has suspended flights between LHR and Abu Dhabi due to delays in Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines and their partial deliveries. In a statement to Simple Flying, the airline confirmed the disruption. Commenting on the news, a British Airways spokesperson said:

“We are disappointed that we have had to make further changes to our schedule as we continue to experience delays in the delivery of engines and parts from Rolls-Royce – particularly the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines fitted to our 787 aircraft are.” “

The industry has faced supply chain issues in recent years, primarily due to increased demand for air travel and raw material shortages due to geopolitical tensions (e.g., the Russian invasion of Ukraine impacted titanium supplies). In a comment to Simple Flying, a Rolls-Royce spokesperson reiterated that the delays were due to supply chain issues:

“This is due to the current difficult industry-wide supply chain constraints. We continue to work with all of our customers to minimize the impact of limited parts availability. All companies in our industry are suffering.”