GTF Issues Continue for Airbus A220 and Embraer E2 Jets

The GTF, or geared turbofan, engine from Pratt & Whitney is very fuel efficient and environmentally friendly, but has been plagued with reliability issues that have resulted in significant grounding of GTF equipped aircraft.  While the A320neo family has the highest number of GTF engines and airlines have been dealing with those issues, the same issues have also emerged for lower thrust versions used on the Airbus A220 and Embraer E2 jets. 

Significant Problems Also Apply to Lower Thrust Versions

The Airbus

A320neo family has experienced significant MRO delays over the last half decade, with required maintenance and parts replacements requiring a completed engine tear-down.  That translates to waits for MRO facilities, which cannot accommodate the demand, and turn-arounds requiring nearly 300 days on average to complete a repair.  Pratt & Whitney won’t likely see the last A320neo aircraft with the required updates until 2027.

The problems that emerged in several parts of the engine and are covered by Airworthiness Directives for mandatory maintenance include cracks resulting from powdered metal defects, corrosion in high-pressure compressor hubs, and premature wear.  While the higher thrust A320neo versions of the PW1000G series were the first to be impacted, the lower thrust variants on the Airbus A220 are also feeling the impacts of the problem as those aircraft reach limitations that require repairs under the US FAA Airworthiness Directive.  The Embraer E195-E2, with a lower thrust and a slightly longer time frame before inspections, has also experienced reliability issues.