Pratt engine issues easing but shortages to last through 2024 -airBaltic

Shortages of Pratt & Whitney engines for Airbus A220 passenger jets have eased but it will take around 18 months before disruption is lifted altogether, the head of the airplane's second-largest operator, airBaltic, told Reuters. A recall of Geared Turbofan engines for larger Airbus A320s for inspections and possible repairs, which roiled the aircraft industry last month, does not affect the Canadian-designed A220 which was the first aircraft to use the fuel-saving powerplants. A220 operators have still had to grapple with some durability issues, compounded by a shortage of spare engines and maintenance bottlenecks that have collectively reduced the supply of working engines and left dozens of planes grounded. "Things have changed if we look at the engine. For us, it is getting better," CE Martin Gauss said in an interview. With more than 40 airplanes in its fleet, airBaltic is the second-largest operator of A220s after Delta. On average 11 of its A220s were out of action during the first-half, slowing an improvement in first-half earnings caused by buoyant air travel demand. The extra downtime reflects some durability problems as engines come in for maintenance sooner than expected, though these are not as severe as those seen on the larger A320 in hot and dusty climates. But the trend of so-called Unexpected Engine Removals is "going down significantly" after a recent modification involving a change of oil pipe, Gauss said ahead of the mid-year results.<br/>