Airbus Aircraft To Be Grounded Until 2030

ITA Airways expects engine problems on Airbus jets to continue grounding aircraft in its fleet and disrupting short-haul operations until 2030.

The claim from the Italian carrier, which replaced Alitalia, adds fuel to a long-burning fire that has hurt the business’s ability to grow as intended because of aircraft limitations spurred by Pratt & Whitney woes.

In a recent interview with Corriere della Sera, the chief executive and general manager Joerg Eberhart said that 11 aircraft were grounded because of engine problems, and the prolonged groundings would continue to constrain the ability to expand capacity in the coming years.

For ITA Airways, it’s not all bad news, though; they are expected to post a positive operating result this year, and for 2027 the budget will also remain on the same basis, an incredible achievement given the ongoing instability and surging fuel prices.

Airbus aircraft to remain grounded to 2030

The forecast, though, for the grounding of short-haul aircraft is the most damning revelation, despite some reported respite at other airlines worldwide that also fly with Pratt & Whitney engines across their short-haul operations and on several aircraft families.

With approximately ten aircraft to be unavailable in 2027, this is down from the 11 today flagged by the ITA executive, a very minor improvement. While the number should theoretically move in the right direction year on year, this still doesn’t mean the problems will cease overnight.

The 2030 timeline broadly indicates that ITA Airways will continue to see disruption to its short-haul operations until then; the number of grounded planes remains unspecified. Furthermore, the specifics of constraints and financial damages are also unknown and will only be realised once the saga is said and done.

Accelerated inspections of Pratt & Whitney engines, driven by manufacturing issues involving powder metal used in certain components, have required hundreds of additional shop visits in the last three years, directly affecting, most notably, the A320neo family.

While shop visits are expected as part of maintenance, the concern is how long they take. What could be a couple of months for the airline’s engines has quickly stretched to a year, not to mention delays in getting unserviceable engines into the shop.

Constraints and a lack of parts, among other challenges, have put pressure on ITA Airways, but it’s also been seen at Emirates with their A380, meaning jets stay on the ground longer and there is greater uncertainty about reactivating models.

ITA Airways not happy with situation

ITA Airways’ frustrations haven’t been limited to several months, but to years, and when they asked about the path forward, Eberhart said there was no alternative but to sue Pratt & Whitney.

With the responsibility to seek compensation for the full damages suffered, the airline, with its majority ownership and recent investment from Lufthansa Group with the intention of a permanent majority stake, won’t take the impact lightly.

The figure to be sourced wasn’t specified, but the dispute alone has been impactful, with previous disruption costs for just a single calendar year cited in the tens of millions; by the time the saga is complete, the figure will have ballooned far beyond that.

While the financial impact is evident, it’s not just the revenue lost from groundings like these; it’s also the broader damage to the brand’s image, the inability to scale the network, and the ground lost over the entire 2020s thus far.

More and more airlines worldwide are seeking damages from engine manufacturers for the groundings caused to their fleets this decade; thus, ITA Airways isn’t the first and won’t be the last to pursue a legal case against Pratt & Whitney.