TOKYO- A LOT Polish Airlines (LO) Boeing 787-9 operating flight LO80 from Tokyo Narita (NRT) to Warsaw Chopin (WAW) was forced to divert to Urumqi (URC) on August 15 after the crew reported an engine issue. The jet landed safely, and passengers were later rebooked onto other connections.
The Dreamliner, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines, has not yet returned to service and remains on the ground in China. Rolls-Royce’s Trent 1000 has a history of reliability challenges, which have previously disrupted global airline operations.
Photo: Wikimedia CommonsLOT 787 Diverted to China
The incident involved a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner registered SP-LSA, which was operating LOT’s daily Tokyo–Warsaw route.
The flight departed Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT) at 23:07 local time, slightly behind schedule, and climbed northwest across China. While cruising at 11,000 meters over western China, about 620 nautical miles east of Urumqi, the crew detected a technical fault with one engine.
The pilots initiated a controlled descent and diverted to Ürümqi Tianshan International Airport (URC). The aircraft touched down safely on runway 26R just over an hour and a half later, according to The Aviation Herald.
No injuries were reported, and passengers were provided alternative travel arrangements. However, SP-LSA remains grounded pending further technical inspections.
LOT Polish Airlines has not disclosed the precise nature of the fault, but the Trent 1000 engines that power its Boeing 787 fleet have long been under scrutiny, flagged Simple Flying.
Developed exclusively for the Dreamliner in the mid-2000s, the Trent 1000 has accumulated more than 20 million flight hours and carried over 350 million passengers. Despite design refinements, including the Durability Enhancement package that introduced stronger turbine blades, reliability issues persist.
In 2016, fatigue cracking was identified in intermediate pressure turbine blades on All Nippon Airways (NH) 787s, prompting inspections and temporary groundings.
By 2018, regulators reduced ETOPS clearance for certain Trent 1000 variants from 330 minutes to 140 minutes, restricting aircraft operating flexibility. These developments highlighted ongoing durability challenges that continue to affect airline schedules worldwide.
Photo: Clément AlloingImpact on Other Airlines
Multiple airlines have faced operational disruptions due to the Trent 1000’s reliability concerns. Virgin Atlantic (VS), British Airways (BA), Air New Zealand (NZ), All Nippon Airways (NH), Gulf Air (GF), and Norwegian Air (DY) have all adjusted schedules or restructured operations as a result.
Virgin Atlantic, which operates 17 Boeing 787-9 aircraft, was forced to cancel its planned London Heathrow (LHR)–São Paulo (GRU) route, and has delayed the launch of its London Heathrow–Accra (ACC) service until October 2025.
Norwegian Air previously cited Trent 1000 problems among the factors that pushed the airline to withdraw from long-haul operations altogether.
Even with Rolls-Royce introducing technical fixes such as redesigned turbine blades, shortages of spare parts have slowed the rollout of improvements. Analysts expect that the ripple effects from Trent 1000 issues will likely extend into 2026.
Photo: Aero Icarus | FlickrBottom Line
The LOT Polish Airlines diversion underscores the wider challenges airlines face with the Trent 1000.
While the aircraft landed without incident and passengers were accommodated, the grounding of yet another Dreamliner highlights the strain that persistent engine issues place on airline schedules, maintenance planning, and fleet availability.
For operators like LOT Polish Airlines, reliance on the Trent 1000 means that even a single in-flight fault can disrupt international schedules and passenger connections.
Until full technical fixes and adequate spare part availability are secured, the Trent 1000 will remain a point of concern for both airlines and passengers.
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