Travel at risk: Wizz Air also affected by engine failure

A component used in the manufacture of a new generation Pratt & Whitney engine does not comply with the specifications. This means that 1,200 engines from the Airbus A320 family have to be taken out of service and inspected. The Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air is also affected.

Problems with Pratt & Whitney engines, Wizz Air affected

According to Pratt & Whitney’s parent company RTX, microscopic contaminants have been found in the metal powder used in the turbine blades of the high-pressure stages of engines produced between 2015 and 2021, AIRportal.hu reports. This means that the affected units must be inspected before the required time.

The resources should be dismantled and returned to the manufacturer’s designated service centre for complete disassembly and inspection. If necessary, the component concerned will be replaced. The engines may then be reassembled and returned to the operator.

Not immediate safety concern

While the failure does not pose an immediate safety concern, AIRportal.hu adds, 200 engines are due for overhaul by mid-September and a further 1,000 over the next 9-12 months. This number represents around 40 percent of the PW1100G-JM engines in service.

RTX CEO Greg Hayes told Reuters that it can take up to 60 days to inspect and repair an engine.

Pratt & Whitney stressed that while every effort is being made to minimise downtime for operators, previous engine failures have forced many aircraft to ground due to a lack of replacement engines, parts supply problems and limited service capacity for time-consuming repairs.

Falling shares

Pratt stressed that the engines currently in production are not affected by the problem. Airbus responded that no delays in aircraft deliveries are expected. The manufacturer began notifying customers of the defect last week. As Reuters reported, Spirit shares were down 2.8 percent, Jetblue shares 5.3 percent in morning trading and Wizz Air shares were down around 3.2 percent in London.

Another Central Asian capital is to be connected to Budapest with regular flights starting from August – read more HERE.