Turkish Airlines To Ground More Aircraft Over Engine Problems

Turkish Airlines has announced that it will have no choice but to ground more aircraft as a result of ongoing issues with Pratt & Whitney’s PW1100G engine. The Turkish flag carrier revealed that more than ten of its Airbus A320neo and A321neo aircraft will need to be removed from service before the end of the year for inspection.

Earlier this year, Pratt & Whitney’s parent company, RTX, called for the recall of hundreds of aircraft equipped with the manufacturer’s PW1100G engine. The recall comes following concerns about suspected contaminated metal in some of the engine’s parts, which could potentially lead to cracking.

Photo: Karasev Viktor / Shutterstock

Turkish Airlines operates a total of 58 Airbus A320neos and A321neos that are equipped with Pratt & Whitney’s PW1100G engine. Last month, the airline grounded nine A320neo and A321neo aircraft for the same reason. With such a large fleet of A320 family aircraft, the number of aircraft to be grounded could rise further over the coming months, potentially leading to operational disruption for the airline.

In a statement, the airline confirmed the recall of up to 12 aircraft over the coming months, saying,

“Our expectation is to ground 11-12 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.”

Worldwide impact

The concerns over the PW1100G engine were first raised by RTX in July 2023, and it is understood that up to 700 of the manufacturer’s engines will need to be inspected between now and 2026. The impact of the problem has been felt in all corners of the globe, at a time when airlines are trying to ramp up capacity in response to rapid increases in demand for air travel post-pandemic.

Photo: Markus Mainka / Shutterstock

Other airlines affected by the recalls include Spirit Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Air New Zealand. The latter is now in the process of leasing an additional Boeing 777-300ER to compensate for the reduction in capacity caused by the grounding of some of its A320 family aircraft.

Further growth for Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines’ recovery from the pandemic has been strong, with the airline carrying 71 million passengers in 2022, down just slightly from the 74 million seen in 2019. Despite the grounding of multiple aircraft, Turkish Airlines still predicts a further increase in passenger traffic of up to 20% for this year.

Photo: Markus Mainka / Shutterstock

Data from ch-aviation.com shows that Turkish Airlines’ fleet currently consists of 429 aircraft. To support its future expansion plans, the carrier is awaiting delivery of a further 84 aircraft, including 46 A321neos and 26 A350-900s.

What do you think of Turkish Airlines having to ground more aircraft as a result of engine problems? What impact do you expect this to have on the carrier? Share your thoughts by commenting below.

Source: ch-aviation.com, AeroTime Hub