Wizz Air set to cut capacity due to engine inspections

The Hungary-based airline said that inspections of Pratt & Whitney GTF engines would lead to some of its aircraft being grounded for the rest of this year and into 2024.

Wizz Air made the announcement after aerospace supplier RTX, which owns Pratt & Whitney, said that 600 to 700 engine units on Airbus A320neos would have to be removed for quality checks due to a “powder metal manufacturing issue” that could lead to the cracking of some engine components.

The airline added that it was “currently assessing the implications to understand the extent of the impact on its fleet with initial estimates indicating a potential capacity reduction of 10 per cent” for the second half of its current financial year, which runs from 1 October to 31 March 2024.

Wizz Air has been one of the fastest growing carriers in Europe as the industry has recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic. The airline enjoyed record traffic of 15.3 million passengers during the quarter between April and June this year – a 25 per cent rise on the same period of 2022.

The carrier added in a statement: “Wizz Air will continue to work with Pratt & Whitney to minimise the impact to its fleet plan and costs to the business.

“The company continues to take proactive action to mitigate any financial and operational impact and will be seeking financial compensation from Pratt & Whitney. The company will provide a more detailed update in due course.”