Airlines have hit fresh turbulence. And it's not going away anytime soon
The P&W problem One of the biggest reasons airlines have not been able to ramp up the size of their fleets is because of issues with engines made by American manufacturer Pratt and Whitney (P&W). In July, RTX Corp, the parent of Pratt and Whitney, said that a powder metal defect could lead to the cracking of some engine components in Airbus A320neo jets. It called for accelerated inspections of around 600-700 engines on these jets for lengthy quality inspections between 2023 and 2026.
The repair work, which was initially expected to take 60 days, is now projected to last up to 300 days per engine. An average of 350 jets could be grounded per year through 2026, with as many as 650 aircraft sitting idle in the first half of 2024. Over 40 airlines and lessors globally, including IndiGo and Air India, have been impacted by Pratt & Whitney’s engine issues.
Nearly 140 aircraft of scheduled commercial airlines are lying idle across India. The primary reason for 95% of these groundings is the supply chain issues faced by Pratt & Whitney (P&W), civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said last month. The engine maker has a huge backlog of deliveries and repairs due to a lack of skilled labour, the absence of specific production lines contributing to the engine parts, and challenges in availability of raw material such as titanium since the covid pandemic, which was worsened by the Russia-Ukraine war.
Read more on livemint.com
