Hawaiian Airlines Extends A330 Leases Amid PW Engine Woes

DALLAS — Hawaiian Airlines (HA) expects that up to four of its A321-200 aircraft will be grounded due to the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engine recall issue.

Two of the planes are already grounded for engine inspections, according to a ch-aviation.com report. This has posed a significant challenge for the airline, leading to increased flight cancellations.

Hawaiian CEO Peter Ingram stated that they anticipate having two to four aircraft out of service in the coming months but believe the situation will improve in 2024 as more engines become available. The aforementioned report states that HA has reached a short-term compensation agreement with Pratt & Whitney for their failure to provide the required engine spares, though discussions for further compensation are ongoing.

To manage capacity shortfalls, HA has extended the leases on four A330-200s that were originally scheduled to be returned in 2024. These extensions will help maintain their network plans and mitigate the impact of ongoing A321neo engine issues.

The GTF Engine and the A320neo

The PW1100G Geared Turbofan (GTF) engine is a high-bypass geared turbofan engine. According to flyingengineer.com, while the LEAP engine family from CFM is an "improvisation" of traditional turbofan engines, the PW1100G series utilizes a unique and rarely utilized technique. This technique promises significant fuel savings by incorporating an unprecedented bypass ratio of 12:1.

The issue at hand revolves around the use of powder metal in the production of some Pratt & Whitney GTF engines, leading to the need for early inspections on hundreds of engines.

The problem has taken a toll on the entire global fleet that uses Pratt & Whitney's geared turbofan engine, including popular aircraft models like the Airbus A320neo. While it is expected that each plane will be down for a short time for the inspection, it is a costly and time-consuming operation.

JetBlue (B6) and Spirit (NK) are among the many airlines worldwide that utilize the affected GTF engine.

Featured image: Hawaiian Airlines N223HA Airbus A321Neo, KPAE PAE. Photo: Daniel Gorun/Airways

https://airwaysmag.com/pratt-engine-flaw-idle-a320s/