TUI fly Belgium Temporarily Grounds E195-E2 Fleet Due to Spare Parts Shortage

TUI fly Belgium (TB) has grounded its Embraer E195-E2 aircraft fleet amid a significant shortage of spare parts at Antwerp, leading to operational disruptions and the diversion of flights originally scheduled from Antwerp to Brussels National. This operational shift comes as the runway at Antwerp is too short to accommodate the airline’s Boeing 737NG fleet, as confirmed by a spokesperson to Belgium’s Aviation24.be.

The spare parts scarcity, attributed to ongoing global supply chain issues, has resulted in delayed deliveries affecting the airline’s maintenance schedule. “Important spare parts for our Embraer E2 aircraft have been arriving several months late for some time,” TUI fly stated to ch-aviation. This delay led to the grounding of the first E195-E2 and subsequently, the remaining two aircraft in the fleet faced similar fates due to missing components necessary for their operation.

The impacted aircraft were parked at Brussels between July 22 and 26, according to ADS-B data. Another jet, OO-ETC (msn 19020053), has been inactive since March 23, 2024, following a flight from Tetuan. All these jets are equipped with Pratt & Whitney PW1000 engines.

TUI fly Belgium typically operates flights from Antwerp to various destinations including Alicante, Antalya, Corvera, Ibiza, Irakleion, Malaga, Nador Arwi, Oujda, Palma de Mallorca, Split, Tangiers, and Tenerife Sur, primarily using its Embraer fleet. The grounding has necessitated operational adjustments and increased reliance on its Brussels operations.

The carrier’s current fleet, as listed by ch-aviation fleets module, includes 20 in-house aircraft: four Boeing 737-700s, five Boeing 737-8s, seven Boeing 737-800s, one Boeing 787-8, and the three E195-E2s. Additionally, TUI fly Belgium supplements its capacity with six wet-leased Airbus A320-200s from LEAV Aviation, SmartLynx Airlines Estonia, and SmartLynx Airlines Malta, along with one Boeing 787-8 from TUI fly Netherlands.

TUI fly Belgium is actively working with suppliers to expedite the delivery of the necessary spare parts to resume normal operations and flights from Antwerp as swiftly as possible. This situation underscores the broader challenges airlines face with supply chain disruptions, affecting fleet efficiency and operational reliability.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com