BUDAPEST- Wizz Air (W6) Holdings has revealed its strategies for addressing Pratt & Whitney GTF engine inspections for its Airbus A320neo family aircraft, anticipating that 45 aircraft will be grounded until the conclusion of the financial year 2024, which ends on March 31, 2024.
This projection is based on a service bulletin issued on November 3, 2023, and verification conducted in collaboration with Pratt & Whitney.
GTF Engine Inspections
In accordance with a service bulletin released on November 3, 2023, and after verification with Pratt & Whitney, our projections indicate the grounding of 45 aircraft by the end of FY24, inclusive of those grounded in September ’23, for mandatory GTF engine inspections,” stated the low-cost carrier in an earnings brief.
The so-called ‘Second Batch Engines’ are anticipated to be removed from service by the middle of January ’24, contingent upon the regulator’s airworthiness directive.
The low-cost carrier holding mentioned that the final count of affected aircraft, through the remainder of the current financial year and beyond, will be contingent on factors such as engine utilization (cycle count), spare engine availability, and MRO induction slot availability.
Wizz Air emphasized that the operational and financial repercussions of the groundings will be alleviated through what it refers to as “management actions and OEM compensation.
Wizz Air Expands Fleet
“As part of its strategic initiatives, Wizz Air has extended the leases for nine A320-200s and four A321-200s, with ongoing efforts to secure additional lease periods ranging from two to four years.
Seven contracts have already been extended, and six are in the documentation stage. CEO József Váradi highlighted that this extension will increase the existing fleet’s utilization.
The company aims to counter any PW1100 engine-related groundings through continuous aircraft deliveries from Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac). Additionally, Wizz Air plans to acquire more aircraft from the market to ensure that its capacity for the financial year 2025 matches or exceeds the current year.
Considering completed and expected lease extensions, Wizz Air anticipates operating nineteen A320ceo and twenty-nine A321ceo by March 2026.
Across its operational units, including Wizz Air, Wizz Air Malta, Wizz Air UK, and Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, the Indigo Partners-backed holding currently manages a fleet comprising forty-one A320-200s (with three stationed at Kyiv Igor Sikorsky), forty-one A321-200s, six A320-200neo, 104 A321-200NX, and a single A330-200F.
Advanced data from ch-aviation fleets indicates that five A320neo and five A321neo are currently either parked or undergoing maintenance.
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