Virgin Hands London-NYC Flight to Delta as Boeing 787s Need Engine Fix
- U.K. carrier moves service to ally so Dreamliners can be idled
- Jets recalled by Rolls-Royce are latest to suffer blade wear
A Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner passenger aircraft, operated by Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd., takes off from Heathrow.
Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. has transferred one of its daily trans-Atlantic flights to U.S. ally Delta Air Lines Inc. so that some of its own Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner planes can be grounded for an engine fix.
Delta took over the London Heathrow-New York John F. Kennedy International service Thursday and will operate it until Oct. 31 using older Boeing 767s and possibly 777s. That will allow the Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc Trent 1000 turbines that power Virgin’s Dreamliners to receive attention, according to Craig Kreeger, the U.K. carrier’s chief executive officer.