Lufthansa, the German flag carrier, has grounded 20 of its Airbus A320neos due to a snag in the Pratt & Whitney (P&W) PW1100G-JM jet engine. The snag is related to a turbine blade that can potentially crack and cause an engine failure. P&W has said that it is working to fix the problem and that it expects to have a solution in place by the end of September. In the meantime, Lufthansa has said that it will be able to operate its remaining A320neos without disruption.
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The grounding of the 20 A320neos is a blow to Lufthansa, which is already struggling with rising fuel costs and labor shortages. The airline is expected to lose around €1 billion ($1.1 billion) this year. The snag in the P&W PW1100G-JM jet engine is not the first time that the engine has been plagued by problems. In 2018, P&W was forced to ground all of its PW1100G-JM engines for several months after a number of engine failures.
The P&W PW1100G-JM engine is a new generation of jet engines that is designed to be more fuel-efficient than previous models. However, the engine has been plagued by problems since it was first introduced in 2016. The grounding of the 20 A320neos is a reminder of the challenges that airlines face when they introduce new aircraft and engines. It is also a reminder of the importance of safety, as airlines are always weighing the risks and benefits of new technology.
In addition to Lufthansa, other airlines that have grounded A320neos due to problems with the P&W PW1100G-JM engine include AirAsia, Air Canada, and JetBlue. It remains to be seen how long the grounding of the 20 A320neos will last. However, it is clear that the problem with the P&W PW1100G-JM engine is a serious one that could have a significant impact on airlines that operate the aircraft.