Akbar al Baker, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Qatar Airways (QR, Doha Hamad International), says his airline still expects to take delivery of its first A320neo before year end despite teething problems with Pratt & Whitney's new PW1100G-JM powerplants.
"Airbus told us there will be a delay ... not a significant delay, but there will be a delay and we are in consultation with them in this regard," he told The Wall Street Journal in an interview.
Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) has suspended its A320neo flight tests since the beginning of May when it discovered a manufacturing flaw with a retaining ring that holds a seal located between the high-pressure compressor and the rest of the engine.
The Qatari national carrier is the launch customer for the upgraded A320 variant and had expected to take delivery of its first of thirty-six airframes in November of this year.
