The airline All Nippon Airways (ANA) has reported that it has received a directive from Pratt & Whitney, which means that, starting next January, inspections of PW1100G-JM engines installed on A320neo and A321neo aircraft will commence. ANA stated that as a result of these analyses, it will be forced to reduce approximately 3.5% of its flights on domestic and international routes from January 10, 2024, to March 30, 2024. This translates to a total of thirty affected operations per day.
The company also announced that passengers with affected reservations will receive notifications to change their flight or request a refund. Additionally, on certain domestic routes, Star Flyer and Solaseed Air will operate 134 additional flights available as codeshare flights with ANA.
These inspections are being conducted in response to a recent communication from Pratt & Whitney regarding potential issues in the manufacturing process of the internal engine parts, specifically those produced between October 2015 and September 2021.
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In total, these inspections will affect 33 ANA aircraft equipped with Pratt & Whitney engines, eleven A320neo and twenty-two A321neo. The components slated for inspection and eventual replacement include the compressor and turbine discs of the high-pressure engine system. According to Pratt & Whitney, it is estimated that this process will last between 250 and 300 days for each engine.
Problems with the PW1000G engines, produced by Pratt & Whitney, are having a significant impact on the airline industry. While these engines offer lower fuel consumption and higher efficiency compared to previous generations, they have faced various logistical problems since their entry into service in 2017.
The inspection is a preventive measure to avoid a potential catastrophic in-flight failure. It is conducted using ultrasound on the discs of the first and second stages of the high-pressure turbine of the engine. If fatigue is detected in one of the turbine discs, they must be replaced immediately. Globally, a total of 202 engines are slated for inspection.
