Pratt may have found temporary fix for Airbus A320 engine issue

Pratt & Whitney succeeded in tamping down the latest crisis to threaten its $10b next-generation jet-engine program, with a temporary fix that will keep Airbus planes flying until a permanent solution is found. Pratt scrapped a newly introduced seal that caused engine vibrations and took almost a dozen Airbus A320neos out of service, according to people familiar with the plan. A previous version will be installed that worked but didn’t last as long as expected, said the people. The alteration buys time for engineers to perfect the so-called knife edge compressor seal while minimizing downtime for the A320neo, Airbus’s most important aircraft. Pratt is under intense pressure to fix the turbine, which competes with one made by a venture of General Electric and Safran. Pratt developed the geared turbofan from the ground up to cement its status on the most widely flown type of aircraft, but it’s been plagued by delays and glitches since it entered service in 2016. The engine maker said it “released a revised configuration” but didn’t specify the nature of the change. “The solution is based on a design with which the company has significant experience, and this solution has received all necessary regulatory approvals,” Pratt said Wednesday. Engines incorporating the change will be delivered beginning next month. While the latest fix should help persuade investors that the turbine -- and the A320neo -- isn’t about to suffer a major crisis, reverting to the original component, itself flawed, won’t be sufficient in the longer term.<br/>