Hundreds of Airbus jetliners will require inspections after a new problem with their Pratt & Whitney engines, adding another potential airline disruption during busy summer travel.
Pratt parent RTX said recently discovered contamination in the metal used to make some engine parts required the planes to be inspected to check if repairs were required.
The contamination could cause cracks to form in critical engine parts. The new problem exacerbates the shortage of new, fuel-efficient engines that has sidelined dozens of Airbus and Boeing jetliners worldwide after parts wore out faster than expected.
It wasn’t immediately clear how the inspections might disrupt airline operations and flights for passengers if any affected Airbus jets need to be temporarily pulled from service. U.S. airlines that have operated the affected engines include JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines and Hawaiian, according to aviation data tracker Ascend by Cirium.
RTX had hoped by the end of the year to more than halve the 8% of the fleet that is grounded by existing durability problems. “This is going to throw that out the window,” said RTX Chief Executive Greg Hayes.
Hayes said he learned of the new problem on July 14, and the decision to accelerate inspections was made on July 18, triggering calls to customers. “If we didn’t address this, there was risk out there,” he said. “You can imagine what the calls were like.”
Pratt & Whitney’s Geared Turbofan, or GTF, engine has required more maintenance than expected since it was introduced in 2015, RTX said. Worst affected have been engines used in hot climates such as India or the Middle East.
The latest problem wiped around $20 billion on Tuesday from the market value of RTX, formerly known as Raytheon Technologies.
RTX shares were recently down 12.5% at $84.74, with the recall overshadowing consensus-beating profits in the second quarter and higher guidance for full-year sales.
The Airbus A320neo family of single-aisle jets are workhorses of the global airline fleet. Around 40% are powered by Pratt engines. The rest use the Leap model engine produced by the CFM joint venture between General Electric and Safran, which have also suffered from durability issues.
A JetBlue spokeswoman said the New York-based airline is working with the engine maker to assess the impact to its fleet. United Airlines ordered Airbus jets with the engines. Lufthansa and European discount carrier Wizz Air are also large operators.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it was aware of the issue and has been in contact with Pratt and U.S. airlines that operate the affected engines. The FAA said it will “ensure that the appropriate steps are taken.”
How soon regulators or Pratt require inspections—and how long the checks will take—would determine the length of time any jets with the affected engines are out of service. The recall isn’t expected to have an immediate impact on travel because only a fraction of the engine fleet would require immediate inspection.
Newly delivered jets aren’t affected, and the rest of the fleet will be checked over the next year, some during preplanned maintenance, said RTX. The company expects the extent of the potential problems to become clearer over the next six weeks.
The inspection of an initial 200 engines over the next several weeks is expected to reduce RTX’s free cash flow by $500 million this year. An additional 1,000 engines will also need to be inspected over the next year to check for any issue with the metal made by RTX from 2015 to 2020.
New engine deliveries for Airbus A320neo aren’t affected as the production process has been changed, RTX said. Airlines operate around 3,000 GTF engines.
An Airbus spokesman said the engine problem didn’t pose an immediate safety issue and wasn’t expected to affect aircraft deliveries. He said the European plane maker would support its airline customers as they work with Pratt and minimize disruption to their fleets.
Airbus is increasing production of the A320 jets to meet strong demand from airlines. The rebound in travel has increased flying times for jets, placing more strain on GTF engines made by Pratt & Whitney and the Leap model engines made by CFM, which also power the A320neo.
Pratt & Whitney and CFM have said both engines have proven less durable than planned, requiring more maintenance and leading to a global shortage that has crimped production of new jets.
An updated version of the GTF is due to be introduced next year.