KLM Grounding Some Embraer E2s

KLM Cityhopper is storing Embraer E2 aircraft as engine issues produced by Pratt & Whitney rampage through its business, affecting its ability to operate a typical schedule.

Worse still, KLM’s woes are not expected to ease up at the turn of the new year, with the company forecasting 2025 to be another challenging one.

Things are expected to slowly improve by 2026, but at that point, the issues will have truly decimated the KLM Cityhopper operation.

The E2 is part of a new era for single-aisle flying at KLM and offers tremendous efficiency over previous-gen aircraft; however, it has come with a basket of challenges.

Ultimately, the E2 isn’t the only next-gen aircraft that arrives with a promise of being efficient, and while on paper, it has achieved that, it has also had complexities. Pratt & Whitney engine problems extend to Airbus aircraft such as the A320neo family and the A220 with the Geared Turbofan crisis.

As a result, KLM is hardly the first and likely won’t be the last to be in a similar boat to many other companies facing capacity constraints and being forced to ground aircraft because of these engine problems.

CHAviation led the reporting on the topic, citing the operator’s Managing Director, who noted that E2s will be decommissioned essentially to preserve their condition.

The decommissioning won’t impact the entire fleet but will certainly affect specific aircraft registrations, which are no doubt far from optimal for the company when considering how long the troubles are expected to rampage on.

The Cityhopper fleet includes 64 total aircraft, with 18 delivered E2 jets averaging 2.6 years. Data shows that of the 18, however, three units are currently in storage. The following units are stored.

• PH-NXA – Parked at Enschede Airport Twente
• PH-NXD – Parked at Enschede Airport Twente
• PH-NXE – Parked at Enschede Airport Twente

The planes’ parking hardly comes as a shock, as they have been in storage for a considerable period now. It remains unclear when these aircraft will return to storage, but KLM is no doubt expecting the groundings to continue for some time.