Airbus A320 engine fix won't come for months, Lufthansa says

Engine glitches that have disrupted Airbus SE A320neo jet operations around the world may take at least three more months to resolve amid a scarcity of upgraded turbines, according to comments from one of the planemaker’s biggest customers, Lufthansa. Fixes for the snags afflicting the geared turbofan, or GTF, powerplant made by United Technologies Corp.’s Pratt & Whitney unit and its partners won’t immediately filter through to the Lufthansa fleet, according to the carrier’s CEO, Carsten Spohr. “Our dialog with the manufacturers, especially Pratt & Whitney, on the big issues surrounding the A320neo engine suggests there’ll be no relief soon,” Spohr said. “For another few months we’ll be on our own. At the earliest, the fixes will come in November.” While Pratt has eliminated the most pressing faults with the GTF, it’s having to juggle demand for replacement engines with the need to supply turbines to about 100 new planes that have been parked up awaiting the fix. That’s meant that Lufthansa and other early customers for the A320neo, most of them in Asia, are having to wait in line until spare turbines become available. A Pratt spokeswoman said all new A320neo engines now include upgraded components. She added that the US company is working closely with clients including Lufthansa to move planes to the latest configuration.<br/>