Pratt & Whitney Recalls Hundreds of A320 Series Engines for Inspection

Airbus is facing a new supply-chain challenge as its engine supplier Pratt & Whitney has recalled hundreds of engines for inspection due to a manufacturing defect.

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Pratt & Whitney, a unit of Raytheon Technologies, has discovered microscopic cracks in some of the high-pressure turbine disks of its PW1100G engines, which power the Airbus A320neo and A321neo jets. The cracks are caused by a “rare condition” in the powdered metal used to produce the disks, the company said.

The engine recall will affect around 1,200 engines that will need to be returned and checked over the next year, with 200 due by the end of this summer. The recall will add to the frustration of airlines that are already struggling with the recovery from the pandemic and the peak travel season.

More than 1,000 Airbus jet engines will need to be removed from passenger planes and inspected to check for microscopic cracks over the coming months, according to engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it was aware of the issue and was in contact with Pratt & Whitney and the affected US operators. “The agency will ensure that the appropriate steps are taken,” it said.

The PW1100G engine, also known as the geared turbofan, is one of the most popular engines for narrowbody aircraft, competing with the CFM Leap engine produced by a joint venture of General Electric and Safran. Some of the major customers of the PW1100G engine include Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, IndiGo and Volaris.

The engine recall is the latest in a series of problems for Pratt & Whitney, which has faced reliability and production issues with its engines in recent years. The company said it would increase its maintenance capacity and keep some new engines as spares to minimize the impact on airlines.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, msn.com, simpleflying.com