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“Pratt & Whitney has determined that a rare condition in powder metal used to manufacture certain engine parts will require accelerated fleet inspection,” forcing an inspection for 1,200 out of more than 3,000 engines over the next nine to 12 months, RTX said on Tuesday. There was no impact on engines that are in production, the company said.
A source familiar with the issue said the problem is not an immediate safety issue. RTX began notifying customers about the problem last week, the person said. In June 2023, defense contractor Raytheon Technologies (NYSE:RTX) Corporation officially changed its name to RTX Corporation.
The engine issue caused RTX to reduce its 2023 cash flow forecast by $500 million as inspections occur, while the company increased its 2023 sales expectation from $73 billion to $74 billion, compared with its prior forecast of $72 billion to $73 billion.
Major customers for the Airbus A320neo jets with PW1100G-JM engines — also known as the geared turbofan or GTF engine — include Delta Air Lines Inc (NYSE:DAL) and Spirit Airlines (NYSE:SAVE) Inc. Airbus stock was down about 0.5% during trading in Paris.
Airbus said there was no impact expected to A320neo deliveries and it would continue to work with airlines to minimize the disruption to their fleets.
“The powder issue highlights the extreme engineering developed into next-generation engines which has come with unexpected maintenance,” Benchmark analysts said in a note on Tuesday.
About 200 “accelerated removals” from the jet fleet containing PW1100G-JM engines will be needed by mid-September this year, RTX said. An additional 1,000 engines will be inspected over the following nine to 12 months.
Microscopic contaminants in the proprietary metal used in the engine’s high-pressure turbine discs were present from 2015 through 2021, RTX management told Wall Street analysts on a post-earnings conference call.
“The business is working to minimize operational impacts and support its customers,” RTX added. Following a service bulletin, RTX said it expects the FAA to publish an airworthiness directive.
Pratt & Whitney has also been facing issues related to the GTF engines in hot and dusty climates. Low-cost Indian carrier Go First, which plunged into financial crisis this year, blamed “faulty” Pratt & Whitney engines for the grounding of about half its 54 Airbus A320neos.
