Legal Dispute is brewing between Airbus and Pratt over Engine Deliveries

A legal dispute is brewing between Airbus and Pratt & Whitney. Airbus is calling on its contractual rights to force P&W to deliver the contracted number of Geared Turbofan engines for this year, Group CEO Guillaume Faury confirmed today during the FY25 results earnings presentation

. Lower engine deliveries are slowing the projected ramp-up of A320neo family production, making the 2026 guidance of 870 deliveries rather provisional.

Airbus openly blamed Pratt & Whitney in the earnings release: “On the A320 Family, Pratt & Whitney’s failure to commit to the number of engines ordered by Airbus is negatively impacting this year’s guidance and the ramp-up trajectory. As a consequence, the Company now expects to reach a rate of between 70 and 75 aircraft a month by the end of 2027, stabilising at rate 75 thereafter.”

No agreement
So what’s the problem? During a media roundtable ahead of the Dubai Airshow in November, at which the author was present, Pratt’s Rick Deurloo, SVP Commercial Engines, said there was still no agreement on 2026 deliveries. It includes both the PW1100G-JM version on the A320neo family and the PW1500G that powers the A220 family. “We are aligned with Airbus on deliveries this year (2025), and we are in conversations with them about 2026 and beyond. We have discussions with them ongoing.” This was followed by remarks from Christian Scherer in January, who, in his last media event before retiring, said Pratt & Whitney had not yet confirmed the 2026 numbers.