Spirit Grounding Eases Airbus Jet Engine Shortages
The liquidation of Spirit Airlines is providing a supply of spare RTX Pratt & Whitney engines to help keep other Airbus A320neo jets flying. Industry experts say the dismantling of Spirit's fleet offers temporary relief for a global shortage caused by manufacturing issues and long repair wait times.
Spirit Airlines ceased operating on May 1 due to high jet-fuel prices, and its liquidation will dismantle an all-Airbus fleet for parts. The bankruptcy involves 114 aircraft, including 30 planes and 17 engines powered by scarce Geared Turbofan (GTF) engines produced by RTX CORP. This supply of near-new aircraft offers rare access to spare components for carriers struggling with grounded fleets.
GTF engines power at least 40% of A320neos in service and compete with CFM International's LEAP engine for airline contracts. The shortage stems from manufacturing defects at Pratt & Whitney, an RTX subsidiary, which forced lengthy inspection cycles and left hundreds of aircraft grounded worldwide.
