FAA posts directive for fixes to Pratt’s Airbus A320 engines

US aviation regulators outlined inspections needed for potentially faulty parts on some of Pratt & Whitney’s geared turbofan engines that power Airbus SE’s best-selling A320neo model. 

The directive affects 20 engines on US-registered aircraft, according to a regulatory filing by the Federal Aviation Administration on Friday. The impact on the worldwide fleet will be larger as other nations adopt the FAA’s requirements. 

Pratt, a unit of aerospace giant RTX Corp., said in July that 1,200 GTF engines must be removed and inspected over the next 12 months after the company discovered contamination in the powdered metal used to manufacture high-pressure turbine discs could shorten their life span. The company has said that the first 200 turbines will need accelerated removals by mid-September. 

Inspections of first- and second-stage high-pressure turbine discs will cost $8,500 each, according to the FAA’s airworthiness directive. Replacing any faulty discs will cost operators about $171,000 apiece.

The costs could be substantial. Based on the FAA estimates, the total cost across the global fleet could exceed $400 million if all 1,200 engines that need inspection were found to have flawed first and second-stage discs. The FAA cautioned that it could not determine how many will actually need replacement.

RTX executives have previously said that more than 3,000 earlier inspections tied to the potential flaw found that fewer than 1% needed replacements.

The July announcement marked the latest stumble for RTX’s marquee commercial aircraft engine, which was already causing headaches for airlines around the globe over durability challenges and lengthy waits — often several months long — for repairs to be completed. 

The GTF is one of two power plants available on the A320neo, the world’s best-selling jet. Airlines have been vocal about the disruption that the removal of engines will cause on their workhorse fleet, with European discount carrier Wizz Air Holdings Plc scaling back growth plans while US carriers Spirit Airlines and JetBlue said they will idle more of their fleet. 

Also included in the filing were inspections for a version of the GTF engine that powers Russia’s in-development MC-21 jet. The country has said it was developing alternative turbines for the model after sanctions were imposed due to its invasion of Ukraine. 

RTX, formerly known as Raytheon Technologies, last month cut its 2023 free cash flow forecast by $500 million over the flaw, though it wasn’t yet able to estimate the full financial impact from the issue.

The FAA directive follows an earlier service bulletin from the company notifying airlines that will be impacted by the first lot of engines that need immediate checks. While the FAA has no authority over aircraft registered outside the US, other aviation authorities typically mandate the same procedures. 

RTX is expected to shoulder much of the financial impact of the issue. Chief Executive Officer Greg Hayes said last month that the company would compensate their affected customers for the issue. 

Read More: RTX Slumps as Engines on Top-Selling Jet Show New Flaws

--With assistance from Julie Johnsson.