Air New Zealand expects significant schedule changes amid engine issues

Air New Zealand is warning travellers to expect “significant” scheduling changes in the coming months after engine problems caused its fleet to decline in numbers. In an NZX announcement on Wednesday morning the airline said in July 2023, American aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney disclosed a condition affecting the maintenance plan for the Geared Turbo-Fan (GTF) jet engine fleet. Overnight, Pratt & Whitney provided a further market update stating that 600 to 700 engines globally would be impacted over the next three years. Air New Zealand has 16 A320/321NEO aircraft in its fleet of 106 aircraft, servicing Australia and the Pacific Island markets and, to a lesser extent, domestic New Zealand. “This issue will further reduce engine availability and is expected to have a significant impact on the airline’s schedule from January 2024. It does not present a safety issue,” the announcement said. “While there is no immediate impact to Air New Zealand’s flights, it is likely the airline will need to make adjustments to its schedule in coming months, some of which may be significant.” Customers will be advised once the impacts on the schedule have been assessed. Air New Zealand said it could not comment beyond what it told the NZX. Air New Zealand CE Greg Foran announces the airline's return to profitability. The airline would work with Pratt & Whitney to implement the new maintenance plan and assess how this might affect the airline’s future schedule. The revised maintenance plan is expected to be completed within the next two months. The disruption news comes just weeks after the airline announced it had finally returned to profit after three years of losses. The national carrier posted a profit of $412m in the year to June 30, a turnaround from a loss of $591m the previous year. Revenue jumped 135% to $6.45b.<br/>