At 14:12 local time on June 2, an Allegiant Air Airbus A320 experienced engine failure shortly after taking off from Huntington Tri-State Airport. The aircraft was en route to St. Petersburg, Florida, carrying 140 passengers when it had to make an emergency landing back at the departure airport. Brent Brown, director of Huntington Tri-State Airport, confirmed that all passengers were safely transferred to another flight.
Allegiant Air has grounded the jet for further maintenance checks to ensure its safety before returning it to service. This incident is part of a broader issue affecting several airlines operating Airbus A320s with similar engine troubles. Spirit Airlines recently reached a $150 million compensation agreement with Pratt & Whitney due to ongoing engine issues impacting their operations.
The grounding affects not only the A320neo but also other models like the A321neo and Embraer E190-E2, which have been regularly removed from service since a July 2023 announcement by Pratt & Whitney.