There shortage of Pratt & Whitney engines for the Airbus A220 has eased, but we will have to wait 18 months before it stops completely, according to airBalticthe second-largest operator of the aircraft after Delta Air Lines.
“Things have changed when you consider the engine. For us it is getting better“, told the agency Reuters Martin Gauss, managing director of airBaltic, which has 40 A220 aircraft (ex-Bombardier CSeries) in its fleet. On average, 11 of its A220s were out of service in the first half of 2023, slowing the recovery and causing a loss of revenue in the face of strong post-Covid demand. The extra downtime reflects some durability issues, with Pratt & Whitney engines needing service earlier than expected.
However, the trend ofunexpected engine removals” East “down significantly” after a recent modification involving an oil line change, explained Martin Gauss. And to add:We now see this trendline changing. Assuming it holds, I’d say by the end of 2024 we should have zero missing engines“.
With the immobilization of its A220s, the Latvian company was forced to charter replacement aircraft with crew to be able to maintain its flight program. Around the world, other airlines (Air Tanzania, Air Senegal, EgyptAir, Iraqi Airways, etc.) have also grounded their A220s for lack of new Pratt & Whitney engines or spare parts for the engines.
