One-third of jets with P&W GTF engines sitting idle as recall impact spreads (2024)

Around three in every 10 jets powered by Pratt & Whitney’s PW1000G family of turbofans are now sidelined worldwide.

That is according to analysis of Cirium data, which reflects, though not perfectly, the extent to which airlines from all corners of the globe are finding their operations disrupted by P&W’s recall of its geared turbofan (GTF) engines.

P&W has said the number of jets parked due to the need for inspections and replacement engine parts will peak right about now, in the first half of 2024.The issue involves defects in metallic components introduced during a manufacturing process due to the use of contaminated powdered metal.

Cirium data shows that 637 jets with GTF engines were in storage on 1 April – 32% of the total fleet. The balance of 1,334 PW1000G-powered aircraft remain in active service.

One-third of jets with P&W GTF engines sitting idle as recall impact spreads (1)

The vast majority of the stored jets are PW1100G-powered A320neos and A321neos – 542 of those are parked, or 36% of that fleet. Another 78 PW1500G-powered A220s – 23% of that fleet – and 17 PW1900G-powered Embraer 190-E2s and E195-E2s, 14% of that total, are sidelined, Cirium data shows.

To be clear, Cirium does not specify that the jets are stored due to the powdered-metal manufacturing problem. It tags many of the stored jets as “Parked – technical issue”, but provides nothing more specific, meaning some are likely idled for other reasons.

P&W declines to comment or to say how many aircraft are currently out of service due to the GTF issue. It has previously said the issue will leave an average of 350 A320neo-family jets will out of service between 2024 and 2026.

One-third of jets with P&W GTF engines sitting idle as recall impact spreads (2)

Swiss CEO Dieter Vranckxexpects his airline will be short of 10-12 Airbus jets, including up to eight A220s, at any given time in 2024

Though firm figures are elusive, Cirium data provides a benchmark for comparison to other fleets powered by different engine types.It shows that only 53 A320neo-family aircraft using the competing CFM International Leap-1A turbofan are currently stored – just 3% of that fleet. A similar rate – 2% or 34 aircraft – can be seen with the Leap-1B-powered 737 Max.

That comparison illustrates the significant effect the GTF defect is having on airlines. Carriers have made no secret about the scale of the problem. Several have said that one-quarter or more of their GTF-engined aircraft have been sidelined, causing financial pressure and prompting then to curtail expansion plans, revamp operations and seek replacement jets in an incredibly tight market. Airlines are also negotiating multi-million-dollar compensation packages with P&W.

One-third of jets with P&W GTF engines sitting idle as recall impact spreads (3)

Source: JetBlue Airways

New York’s JetBlue Airways has said it expects to have an average of 11 A320neo-family jets grounded at any time this year

“The problem of our aircraft being unproductive is the fact [that] we are paying twice. We have aircraft investments unproductive on the ground, and we have to rent, wet-lease [aircraft from] another company to produce the capacity in the market,” Swiss chief executive Dieter Vranckx said during a 4 April event in Washington DC.

Swiss’s GTF-powered fleet includes 10 A320/A321neos and 35 A220s. But the carrier expects an average of 10-12 of those aircraft will grounded at any given time this year due to the engine issues, Vranckx says. In response, Swiss is backfilling some lost capacity by wet leasing aircraft and crews from carriers including Air Baltic and Helvetic Airways – though both also use GTF-powered jets. Nonetheless Vranckx insists the airline remains committed to the Airbus jets.

On the bright side, the number of parked GTF-powered jets decreased ever so slightly in the last month, from 641 on 1 March to 637 on 1 April, perhaps signalling a plateau. The data previously showed a steady increase in the number of grounded aircraft since P&W disclosed the problem’s wider implications in July last year.

One-third of jets with P&W GTF engines sitting idle as recall impact spreads (4)

The GTF issue is certainly not the only significant factor holding airlines back. Boeing in particular, and Airbus to a lesser degree, have been late delivering new jets, leaving airlines with fewer aircraft than planned.

The airframers have been hit by labour shortages and nagging supply chain problems. Boeing has also curtailed 737 Max production this year amid safety and quality concerns stemming from the 5 January in-flight loss of a Max 9’s door plug.

But the GTF issue is chief among many airlines’ frustrations.

Defective engine components include high-pressure turbine and compressor disks, compressor hubs and air seals, according to P&W and the Federal Aviation Administration, which has ordered maintenance fixes. The defects make the components less durable – more likely to fail. P&W, and then the FAA, became aware of the issue after a 2020 engine failure; another engine failed in 2022.

P&W’s response has been to recall the engines for inspections and replacement parts – work taking 250-300 days per unit.

Carriers from all corners of the globe have taken aircraft out of service as a result.

On 1 April, US discounter Spirit Airlines had 19 parked jets, Delta Air Lines had 14, Mexico’s Volaris had 30, Air China had 28, Japan’s ANA had 21, Egyptair had 10 and Vietnam Airlines had nine, according to Cirium data.

On 29 March, Spirit said it to the tune of $150-200 million, warning the issue will force it to remove “nearly all” its A320neo-family jets from service at some point. That package equates to P&W paying Spirit about $18,000 daily per grounded aircraft, financial firm Jefferies said in a 1 April report.

Additional reporting by Ned Russell.

One-third of jets with P&W GTF engines sitting idle as recall impact spreads (5)

Source: Airbus

Mexico’s Volaris had 30 A320neo-family jets in storage as of 1 April, Cirium data shows

One-third of jets with P&W GTF engines sitting idle as recall impact spreads (2024)

FAQs

One-third of jets with P&W GTF engines sitting idle as recall impact spreads? ›

One-third of jets with P&W GTF engines sitting idle as recall impact spreads. Around three in every 10 jets powered by Pratt & Whitney's PW1000G family of turbofans are now sidelined worldwide.

What is wrong with Pratt and Whitney engines? ›

In July 2023, Pratt & Whitney discovered that its geared turbofan engines manufactured between the fourth-quarter of 2015 and the third-quarter of 2021 had a contaminated powdered metal that could interfere with the functioning of the engines.

How often should an aircraft engine be run? ›

Not only do the cylinders corrode, so do the rest of the internal parts. Continental states that the best way to care for and preserve the engine is to fly once a week.

How to store an aircraft engine? ›

If at all possible, inactive engines should be stored in a dry, temperature-controlled environment to help minimize condensation. You are best advised to add desiccant bags inside the engine and then cover the air and exhaust inlets to prevent moisture from entering the engine.

What is the problem with GTF engines? ›

But the GTF issue is chief among many airlines' frustrations. Defective engine components include high-pressure turbine and compressor disks, compressor hubs and air seals, according to P&W and the Federal Aviation Administration, which has ordered maintenance fixes.

What is the problem with the RTX GTF engine? ›

In July, RTX said microscopic contaminants were found in a powdered metal used in high-pressure turbine discs that are part of the GTF engine's core. The presence of those contaminants could lead to cracks in the engine. Replacing the discs requires removing the engine, disassembling and reassembling it.

How long does a 747 engine last? ›

Long-Range Widebody Aircraft

For instance, the Boeing 747, an iconic widebody aircraft, has an estimated lifespan of 35,000 flight cycles. On the other hand, the composite-structured Boeing 787 Dreamliner can endure up to 44,000 flight cycles.

Can you fly an engine past TBO? ›

Get it checked out, and rechecked if need be. Look at your engine data on the ground for what you may have missed in flight. Running an engine past TBO is fine, but engines do require work (and someday, an overhaul) “on condition”.

How many hours can an aircraft fly after losing one engine? ›

Answer. Answer: In fact, airliners can fly quite well on just one. The Boeing 777 is certified to fly up to five and a half hours with one engine out.

Can I overhaul my own aircraft engine? ›

To do an actual overhaul—rather than simply taking an engine apart, inspecting it, and randomly replacing some things—you have to send the parts off to a machine shop specializing in aircraft engine work. They inspect the parts and call them good or repair them, or scrap them as the inspections indicate.

How to extinguish an aircraft engine fire? ›

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is an effective extinguishing agent. It is most often used in fire extinguishers that are available on the ramp to fight fires on the exterior of the aircraft, such as engine or APU fires. CO2 has been used for many years to extinguish flammable fluid fires and fires involving electrical equipment.

What is the lifespan of an aircraft engine? ›

For widebodies, that varies between 25,000 and 45,000 flight cycles. On the military side, Dr. Memon cites an active flight life of 5-8,000 hours as they operate in extreme conditions. "The average number of cycles before the first overhaul for modern narrowbody engines is 12,000 flight cycles," Dr.

What is wrong with the Pratt and Whitney F135 engine? ›

Issues with the F135 engine have already been increasingly apparent in recent years. A massive maintenance backlog emerged two years ago, which was blamed on a broad combination of factors, including the heat-protective coatings on the turbine blades in the engines wearing out sooner than expected.

Are Pratt and Whitney reliable? ›

EAST HARTFORD, Conn., December 18, 2020 - Pratt & Whitney, a division of Raytheon Technologies Corp. (NYSE: RTX), today announced that GTF engines powering the A320neo family have achieved a world-class engine dispatch reliability rate of 99.98%.

What is the Pratt and Whitney powdered metal issue? ›

Pratt & Whitney disclosed in July that several parts for its PW1100G-JM geared turbofan engines were manufactured with contaminated metal powder that makes the parts more susceptible to corrosion and cracks. The issue required hundreds of planes with the engines to be grounded for inspections.

What is the problem with the Airbus A220 engine? ›

A220 operators have still had to grapple with some durability issues, compounded by a shortage of spare engines and maintenance bottlenecks that have collectively reduced the supply of working engines and left dozens of planes grounded.

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