Lufthansa on Thursday announced that a third of its Airbus SE A220 fleet in Zurich has been temporarily grounded due to issues with Pratt and Whitney engines. This comes as the latest sign of airlines struggling with defects ahead of the crucial summer travel season.
This week, Go First also filed for insolvency protection, blaming failing Pratt and Whitney engines for grounding about half of its fleet of Airbus aircraft at a time when demand for travel is soaring.
According to Lufthansa's Chief Executive Officer Carsten Spohr, in addition to the idled narrow-body aircraft, three other "brand new" planes with Pratt engines are also down.
During a call with analysts to discuss earnings, Spohr explained that "way down in their supply chains there are elements missing and companies need to rebuild their production facilities."
Lufthansa has 30 A220s at its Swiss subsidiary, which implies that approximately 10 aircraft are currently grounded.
Bloomberg News reported that the company is considering ordering more of the model as it renews its regional jet fleet.
The shortage of engines and spare parts, particularly on their latest-generation workhorse narrowbody jets, has affected carriers worldwide.
Suppliers to Pratt and Whitney, a subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies Corp., have struggled with a backlog of subcomponent orders.
With agency inputs.
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