Turkish Airlines (TK, Istanbul Airport) expects to have up to twelve A321neo aircraft grounded by the end of the year because of issues with Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan (GTF) engines. The airline has already pulled nine aircraft from service for this reason.
"Our expectation is to ground 11 to 12 aircraft by the end of the year, but due to the uncertainties in the process there is a possibility that this number will be revised upwards," a spokesperson told Dow Jones Newswires.
In July, RTX, the publicly listed parent company of Pratt & Whitney, issued a recall order for its PW1100G engines manufactured between 2015 and 2020. While the exact number of engines requiring removal from airframes and inspection is yet to be finalised, RTX said the inspection process will take place between now and 2026 and impact airlines worldwide.
Turkish Airlines operates four A320-200Ns and fifty-four A321-200NX fitted with PW1100G engines. However, given the issue only affects engines manufactured during a specific period, the recall order will not impact all of Turkish's A320neo and A321neo jets. Deliveries of the airline's A320neo commenced in the latter half of 2022, with all four aircraft built in the same year, indicating engines fitted to those aircraft may not be affected. Deliveries of the A321neo started in mid-2018 and have remained constant until August this year, with these aircraft manufactured within the same timeframe.
"Our negotiations with the manufacturer on this issue continue," said the spokesperson. "Since there are still unclear issues regarding the affected engines and maintenance plans, it seems possible that there will be changes in the quantities mentioned above in the coming period."
Turkish Airlines has a further forty-five A321-200NX aircraft on order.
