Aegean adapts operations as it seeks compensation for A320neo engine issues

Greek carrier Aegean Airlines is expecting to reach, by the end of this year, a compensation agreement with Pratt & Whitney over disruption arising from engine inspections on its Airbus A320neo-family jets. Speaking during a 24 November briefing, Aegean chair Eftichios Vassilakis said the airline had been holding “significant discussions” with the manufacturer, but that the offers received for mitigating the cost “do not yet come to our full satisfaction”. He says there is a cost and efficiency effect from the carrier’s having to resort to using older A320s rather than the A320neos. The PW1100G engines are having to be inspected earlier than scheduled owing to powder metal contamination during component manufacture. Vassilakis says the airline has 28 A320neo-family jets and will have 31 by around July next year. But he expects an average of 10 to be grounded throughout the course of 2024. Given that the carrier has 32 older Airbus single-aisle jets, the issue effectively means one aircraft in six will be out of service. This projection for 2024 is “quite solid”, he says, but the situation for 2025 is uncertain.<br/>