SWISS grounds six Airbus A320neo planes amid Pratt & Whitney engine issues

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SWISS grounds six Airbus A320neo planes amid Pratt & Whitney engine issues

Policy

Joanna Bailey Managing Editor | Simple Flying

By Sky Industry News

Jul 8, 2024

SWISS International Air Lines, commonly known as SWISS, plans to ground six of its Airbus A320neo aircraft this summer due to ongoing issues with Pratt & Whitney PW1000G engines. The airline expects the number of grounded aircraft could increase to 14 by the end of 2024 and continue into 2026. However, the A220-100s and A220-300s in service are not expected to be affected.

The summer holiday season is a critical period for airlines, which aim to operate at full capacity to maximize profits. However, SWISS will not achieve this due to engine-related groundings. The airline's fleet is predominantly composed of Airbus aircraft, with only a few Boeing 777-300ERs. It has invested significantly in next-generation A320neo and A321neo aircraft, which are now facing operational challenges.

According to ch-aviation, SWISS currently has four A320neos and two A321neos inactive because they are equipped with problematic batches of PW1000G engines. These engines have defective metallic components resulting from contamination in the powdered metal used during manufacturing, leading to early cracking and reduced lifespans. In June 2023, Pratt & Whitney recalled 1,200 out of the 3,000 engines it had produced.

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Oliver Buchofer, Head of Operations at SWISS, told ch-aviation that the number of grounded aircraft might rise further. "We are currently examining whether we will have to temporarily withdraw a small number of aircraft from service again in autumn," he said. The airline is planning around these disruptions to minimize their impact on operations.

While the PW1500G engines powering the A220-100s and A220-300s also have issues—specifically excessive corrosion on high-pressure compressor front hubs—the airline does not expect these models to be affected similarly.

The reliability issues with Pratt & Whitney engines have caused several incidents involving SWISS aircraft:

- On October 13th, 2018, a SWISS A220-100 had an inflight engine shutdown due to a faulty O-ring seal in the engine’s fuel oil cooler.

- On July 29th, 2019, a low-pressure compressor (LPC) disintegrated during a climb on a SWISS A220 flight, leading to an engine failure and diversion to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.

- On September 16th, 2019, another LPC broke up during a climb on a different flight; this incident prompted an FAA airworthiness directive requiring borescope inspections on PW1500G engines.

- On October 15th, 2019, yet another LPC issue occurred during flight; this led SWISS to ground its entire A220 fleet until inspections were completed.

These incidents highlight ongoing challenges faced by airlines operating with Pratt & Whitney-powered aircraft.