Wizz Air Grounds a Fifth of Its Fleet Amid Engine Woes

‍DALLAS — Wizz Air (W6) has grounded a fifth of its planes—40 jets in total, amid engine problems, resulting in a 62% decline in profit from US$468.6 million to US$179.1 million for the first quarter of the year. 

Issues at Pratt & Whitney, the engine manufacturer owned by the aerospace and defense company RTX, formerly known as Raytheon, have affected the Airbus aircraft. Concerns about impurities in the powdered metal used in manufacturing led the US company to initiate a recall of some engine models for inspection in 2023.

Apart from the engine troubles, W6 has had to deal with its network disruptions due to the conflict in two key markets: Ukraine and Israel. 

However, the Hungarian ultra low-cost carrier is as resilient as they come, delivering its second profitable year while “operating under unique circumstances – conditions airlines would never experience when demand exceeds supply,” according to its CEO, Jozsef Varadi.