JetBlue continues to sound the alarm over ongoing issues with Pratt & Whitney’s Geared Turbofan engines. The airline expects aircraft groundings to peak in the next one to two years.
The engines power the New York-based carrier’s Airbus A220 and A321neo aircraft. Last year, it had 11 grounded jets due to these issues, JetBlue CFO Ursula Hurley said during an investors conference on Wednesday.
“ Clearly the largest headwind for JetBlue at the moment is the GTF engine,” she added.
According to Cirium Fleet Analyzer data, JetBlue has 15 GTF-powered aircraft grounded, including six A220s and nine A321neos. The carrier has a total of 38 A220s and 28 A321neos in active service.
Issues with the Pratt & Whitney engine type have plagued airlines worldwide. Cirium data shows around 700 GTF-powered aircraft out of service.
JetBlue’s plans are “pretty conservative,” Hurley said. Aircraft may return to service sooner depending on supply chain and shop availability.
“ We’re very excited for GTF when it works. We just need to get through the quality issues now,” JetBlue President Marty St. George added. The engines can be off-wing for as long as a year, per the airline.
