GTF Powered A320 Family AOG Ramping Up — But AOG Woes Not Evenly Spread |

RTX stated that Pratt & Whitney (P&W) GTF-powered A320 family aircraft grounded for engine problems would rise from approximately 10% of the fleet in mid-September to 600 to 650 airplanes AOG by early 2Q24. Aviation Week analysis shows The percentage of the PW1100G-powered Airbus fleet on the ground stood at 19% at the end of September, or 267 aircraft out of 1,378 in the global fleet. We last looked at this issue in mid-September. RTX's prediction is growing daily, and by early October, GTF aircraft on the ground doubled from 10% at the time of announcement to more than 21% as of mid-October. The recent increase in AOG stems from the initial deadlines in the FAA emergency Airworthiness Directive in addition to the daily increase in the number of GTF engines approaching mandated inspection cycles or full life of parts that have a limited cycle life. With nearly 300 GTF-powered A320/A321 aircraft now in AOG status, the AOG pain is being felt unequally by GTF operators. According to ch-Aviation data, Delta and Frontier have 100% of their GTF fleet in Active status, as is 97.2% of the Wizz Air Fleet. On the other hand, Air China has nearly half of its GTF fleet in AOG status, while Air Astana, Air Macau, All Nippon, and China Southern have about 25% of their fleet inoperative. With 100% of its 49-plane GTF fleet stored or in maintenance, Go First, which filed for bankruptcy, distorts the overall AOG numbers. Otherwise, differences in the impact of P&W engine problems are due to differences in the fleet ages, with Delta’s newer fleet relatively unscathed. A321neos powered by GTFs delivered in 2022 onwards have engines that are not subject to the same AOG risk. In the US, operators include Delta, JetBlue, Spirit, and Fronter. United's recent A321neo delivery also falls into this group. Airlines with internal MRO capabilities can best secure increasingly tight engine work capacity. P&W is negotiating with each airline separately for scarce MRO slots to return engines to the fleet and compensation for inexcusable delays in parts supply. As the AOG numbers march steadily towards the 650 RTX expectation, it is increasingly challenging for any airline to avoid disruptions. Here's an example from Hawaiian Airlines.

US Flight Planner - US DoT On-Time Data	Airbus vs Boeing - Official OEM Data
US Airline Schedule Performance - US DoT Data	Daily OEM Production & Deliveries -

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