Military

Airbus Hits Snag, May Delay First Flight for Competitor to Boeing 737 MAX

Airbus A320neo
Source: Airbus Group NV
An unidentified issue has surfaced with the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G geared turbofan engine that Airbus will use on its A320neo model. A first flight had been tentatively scheduled for September 5 but has not yet taken place.

According to a report in Aviation Week, sources say the problem is related to the last set of fan-related certification tests that the company conducted in its run-up to certification. Pratt & Whitney is a division of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).

The A320neo will also be offered to customers with a CFM Leap-1A engine from CFM International, the 50/50 joint venture between General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) and the Snecma division of France’s Safran. The Leap-1A is not scheduled to begin testing until next year. Deliveries of the A320neo are scheduled to begin late in 2015.

The A320neo is a re-engined version of Airbus’s best-selling single-aisle A320, the main competitor to Boeing Co.’s (NYSE: BA) 737. Boeing’s re-engined version of the plane, the 737 MAX, is expected to be available in 2017.

The geared turbofan engine from Pratt & Whitney that Bombardier plans to use on its new CSeries plane suffered a seal failure in May. Testing on the CSeries is scheduled to resume Sunday, and the plane is now scheduled for first delivery by the end of next year. The CSeries is Bombardier’s first plan to compete with the 737 and A320.

ALSO READ: How Much Does an Airbus A320neo Cost?

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