Airlines

Airbus Faces New Challenge with Pratt & Whitney Engine Recall Amidst Record Orders

As it works to maintain a commanding lead over competitor Boeing, Airbus confronts yet another significant challenge in delivering its best-selling aircraft. With a backlog that now extends into the early 2030s, Airbus has been attempting to quickly increase production of its popular A320 family of airplanes. Many of those aircraft are propelled by a certain model of Pratt & Whitney engine, which the engine manufacturer warned earlier this week will need to be recalled and inspected.

Following the discovery of a metal defect that could result in cracking, Pratt said that 1,200 of its geared-turbofan engines would need to be inspected. The problem, according to Pratt and Airbus, has no effect on the safety of the aircraft.

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Airbus‘ aspirations to produce the plane at faster rates could be further slowed by the recall. As a result of the impacted engines being taken out of service, Pratt will need to keep some of its additional new engines as a reserve engine pool. For use when maintaining aircraft engines, it retains its reserves. As a result, Airbus can deliver new aircraft with fewer engines needed.

And also according to RTX, the P&W discovered an uncommon problem in the metal powder used to make a few engine parts that could shorten their lifespan. With 200 engines to be “removed and inspected” in mid-September and the remaining 1,000 in the next nine to twelve months, the PW1100 engines will be recalled in stages.

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The majority of A320 aircraft with P&W engines are purchased by low-cost airline IndiGo. This development comes one month after IndiGo placed a record order for 500 narrowbody aircraft from Airbus, bringing its total pipeline from the European aircraft manufacturer to 1,000.

Airlines

Qantas Engineers Stage Walkout Over Cost of Living Concerns

Tensions at Qantas reached new heights as base maintenance workers in Brisbane walked out of a hangar meeting hosted by the airline’s CEO, Vanessa Hudson.

The walkout was a clear display of displeasure and aimed to send a strong message to the company’s management about the growing frustrations within the workforce. The workers, represented by the Qantas Engineers Alliance, have been pushing for wage increases that reflect the rising cost of living.

In an open display of displeasure, Qantas Base maintenance workers walked out of a hangar meet hosted by the CEO Vanessa Hudson in Brisbane, also aimed to send a message to the management.

Qantas Engineers Alliance members have been demanding decent wage increases to match with… pic.twitter.com/y9EVjc46VM— FL360aero (@fl360aero) September 14, 2024

Despite ongoing discussions, the employees feel that their concerns have been overlooked, leading to this public show of dissent. The hangar meeting, meant to foster dialogue and address employee concerns, instead became the stage for a visible demonstration of dissatisfaction as the workers exited in unison.

For some time, the engineers and maintenance staff have expressed frustration over wage stagnation amid increasing inflation and living costs. Their demand is simple: a decent and fair wage adjustment that keeps pace with economic realities. The walkout underscores the workers’ determination to stand firm on their request for better pay and fair treatment.

As Qantas navigates its recovery post-pandemic, this incident highlights the growing internal challenges the airline faces, especially concerning its workforce. The maintenance staff’s actions have put additional pressure on the company’s leadership to address the wage concerns and avoid further escalation.