Engine Powering A320neo Aircraft

Pratt & Whitney is working to determine the cause of a vibration issue with its geared turbofan engines that are powering some A320neo airplanes.

Bloomberg reports that, according to "people familiar with the matter", the company has not yet determined the cause of the excessive vibration, and is looking into the possibility that it is connected to previously-identified design issues.

Pilots have received alerts of high vibration levels during flights, according to the report.

The geared turbofan has seen multiple design flaws that have delayed deliveries to customers, grounded some planes, and forced the company to pay millions of dollars in compensation claims. Planes are generally grounded in groups of 10 as fixes are installed.

In a statement emailed to Bloomberg, Pratt & Whitney said that the company is "working closely with our customers to support their operations while continuing to retrofit the fleet to the latest engine configuration."

An Airbus spokesman declined to comment for the article.

This issue is seen as less disruptive to production schedules than previous issues uncovered with the engines.

(Image from file)

FMI: Source report