The move comes despite continued issues with the powerplants.
An A321XLR with GTF engines (Photo: Airbus)
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has recently certified Airbus’ latest aircraft, the A321XLR, equipped with Pratt & Whitney GTF engines.
The go-ahead was given on Friday, with the first commercial A321XLR powered with this engine type expected to enter service later this year. This follows the CFM LEAP-1A powered aircraft being the first to fly after it was delivered to launch-customer Iberia in late 2024.
This follows controversy surrounding Pratt & Whitney, given the recent grounding of many of their aircraft. This was due to suspicion of microscopic cracks in the metal of the engines, causing them to have to remove between 600 and 700 engines from the aircraft they were fitted to.
This has impacted many airlines, with carriers such as Wizz Air being forced to ground as many as 40 aircraft. It’s resulted in almost all of the airline’s A320neo fleet not being allowed to fly, causing them to have to keep using the less efficient A320ceos.
However, this hasn’t stopped Wizz, who opted to fit its A321XLR with the GTF engine when they ordered the aircraft shortly after its announcement. It is currently hoping to take delivery of the type in March 2025, with inaugural flights planned from London Gatwick to Jeddah and Milan Malpensa to Abu Dhabi.
The Pratt & Whitney engine issues haven’t hit the confidence of Airbus either, with the manufacturer’s commercial chief, Christian Scherer, saying that the A321XLR “already displays its great versatility crossing the Atlantic in daily operations. With the certification and entry-into-service of the GTF-powered A321XLR we will see more operators introduce this game changing aircraft. It is also good news for our customers’ passengers who will benefit from the convenience of new direct city to city connections with a heightened level of cabin comfort.”
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