Wizz Air is one of the airlines most impacted, along with Spirit Airlines, JetBlue Airlines, Lufthansa and IndiGo, by the problems encountered on the Pratt & Whitney GTF engine and in particular on 1,200 examples produced between 2015 and the end of 2021.
10% capacity reduction at Wizz Air
The Hungarian airline will be forced to reduce its overall capacity by 10% following the forced grounding of part of its Airbus A320neo and A321neo fleet due to inspection of the Pratt & Whitney GTF engines that power them. At the end of August 2023, the Wizz Air fleet consisted of 104 A320neo and A321neo alongside 42 A320ceo and 41 A321ceo. At Lufthansa, around twenty aircraft are affected by engine removals and workshop visits which are required to detect microscopic cracks linked to contamination of metal powders. And when you say engine removal, you say immobilizing the planes.
A hefty bill for the RTX group and partner MTU Aero Engines
Overall, no less than 1,200 Pratt & Whitney GTF engines produced between 2015 and September 2021 are affected by these inspections which have started and which will continue until 2026 with half of the engines inspected by the end of 2024. The bill promises to be hefty for the RTX group, i.e. $6 to $7 billion, 80% of which is in support of the airlines concerned (from removal to re-installation under wing plus compensation linked to disrupted flight programs and losses). of turnover), the remaining 20% relating to the cost of additional workshop visits. For its part, MTU Aero Engines, which produces elements of the GTF, estimates the impact at a possible loss of turnover of €1 billion.
Bad mood at IndiGo
At IndiGo, which has already suffered from the teething problems of the Pratt & Whitney GTF, with Lufthansa moreover, it has been rather brackish. Especially since the entire Airbus A320neo fleet of the Indian airline is affected by these inspections with the immobilization of aircraft as a result. A fleet already facing recurring engine reliability problems and which explains why IndiGo changed engine supplier during its latest and very substantial order for Airbus A320neo family aircraft.
