Engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney has revealed a new challenge for the Airbus A320 Neo family powered by their Geared Turbofan (GTF) engines. A rare condition in the powdered metal used to manufacture certain engine parts has been identified, leading to an expedited fleet inspection.
Pratt & Whitney’s GTF Engines
After facing previous challenges with their GTF engines, Pratt & Whitney had seen a positive turn of events. The engine manufacturer reported that more engines were returned in May after servicing and repairs than the number taken out of service, indicating a reduction in bottlenecks and an easing of the situation.
Despite the recent improvements, a new obstacle has surfaced for the GTF engines. Pratt & Whitney’s parent company, RTX, formerly known as Raytheon, disclosed on Tuesday (July 25) that Pratt & Whitney has determined “that a rare condition in powdered metal used to manufacture certain engine parts necessitates an expedited fleet inspection”. This issue does not affect engines currently in production but will require the premature inspection of a significant portion of the PW1100G-JM engine fleet, which powers the Airbus A320 Neo family.
According to RTX, approximately 1,200 out of over 3,000 engines will require inspections within the next nine to twelve months. By mid-September, around 200 engines are expected to undergo accelerated removals from the A320 Neo fleet. Pratt & Whitney is still determining the exact number of engines affected, but it’s crucial to note that the problem is not considered an immediate safety issue. RTX started notifying customers about the issue last week.
The A320 Neo Family aircraft are available with two engines from two manufacturers. In addition to engines from Pratt & Whitney, Leap-1A engines from CFM International are also available.
Customers such as Spirit Airlines, JetBlue Airways, and Wizz Air will be impacted by the engine inspections. Despite this, Airbus confirmed that the deliveries of A320neo aircraft will remain unaffected. The company is actively collaborating with airlines to minimize any disruptions to their fleets.
*Correction: This article has been updated in reference to the featured image used which is a representation of the Airbus A320 Neo aircraft, that is powered by LEAP-1A engines from CFM International. The article is, in fact, about Pratt & Whitney’s GTF engines, which are used in a significant number of Airbus A320 Neo aircraft, and that the image is used for illustrative purposes only.
