ITA Airways grounds 22 aircraft amid Pratt & Whitney engine recall, faces €150 million losses

ITA Airways has taken 22 aircraft out of service due to issues with Pratt & Whitney PW1000G (GTF) engines, according to Corriere della Sera. The carrier estimates cumulative losses could reach €150 million by 2030 as a result of these groundings.

The Italian airline is the most impacted by the ongoing global recall of PW1000G-series engines, with 28% of its fleet currently grounded. Daily financial losses are projected at €82,000, significantly affecting operational capacity and revenue streams.

The carrier, which became part of the Lufthansa Group, currently has a fleet of 101 aircraft, 79 of which are from the A220 and A320 families.

The PW GTF engine powers the 26 A220, 19 A320neo and seven A321neo. Of these, two A220-100, seven A220-300, eight A320neo and two A321neo were grounded until days ago.

Chief Executive Joerg Eberhart stated that ITA Airways intends to seek compensation from Pratt & Whitney for the disruption caused by the engine problems.

The recall stems from a defect identified in 2023 in the manufacturing process of PW1000G engines, which can cause cracks in critical components. Inspections and repairs are mandatory, leading to protracted downtimes for affected aircraft.

While ITA Airways faces the highest proportion of grounded aircraft, other operators such as Wizz Air and IndiGo report lower percentages of their fleets impacted, at 14.6% and 12.7% respectively.

The number of ITA Airways aircraft grounded is forecast to decrease to 20 next year and to approximately 10 by 2030, according to company projections.

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