Says New Engines Have 'A Lot Of Problems'

News coming out of the Singapore Air Show indicates that Qatar Airways is making noises about cancelling its order with Pratt & Whitney for engines to be hung on its fleet of A320neo airplanes.

The airline has ordered 50 of the re-engined single-aisle aircraft, and was supposed to have taken delivery of the first airplane in December. But Qatar rejected that airplane. Reuters reports that Qatar Airways Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker (pictured) said on the sidelines at the Singapore Air Show that there are "a lot of things wrong with A320neo, with the engines. So we have refused to accept those airplanes."

Al Baker said that the problem lies with Pratt & Whitney and not Airbus. He said that Qatar Airways "will not accept an aircraft with those engines unless they are very much corrected. Otherwise we have no alternative but to look at an alternate engine supply."

Pratt & Whitney has acknowledged that there have been some issues with early models of the engine, but stands by its claim of a 15 percent fuel savings for the geared turbofan engines.

The engine manufacturer told Reuters that it is installing fixes on the engines following Al Baker's threat to cancel the order. In an email, a Pratt & Whitney spokesman said the company has "met met with Mr Al Baker previously and explained that we have fixes for the issues he identified. They are being installed in engines being built today and they will be in place prior to him receiving his engines."

(Akbar Al Baker pictured in file photo)

FMI: www.pw.utc.com