TOULOUSE, 10 Feb 2018:
Airbus has stopped delivering A320neo jets powered by Pratt & Whitney’s geared turbofan engines and halted pre-delivery test flights after the latest technical hitch to affect the supplier, two sources familiar with the matter said.
A European safety bulletin, effectively grounding aircraft that have already been delivered with two engines from the same suspect batch, affects about 15-20 aircraft already in service, they said.
Airbus has briefed airlines and leasing companies on the problem and cannot yet say how long it will take to resolve, one of the sources told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
An Airbus spokesman said the planemaker is “in discussions with customers about delivery schedules”.
It is unclear if AirAsia may have to ground some of its planes due to this development.
Last year, AirAsia became the first airline in Southeast Asia to operate the Airbus A320neo aircraft powered by CFM International LEAP-1A engines.
AirAsia is Airbus’ biggest airline customer for the A320 family with a total of 575 aircraft ordered. Of these, 404 are the A320neo family.
– Reuters