After facing numerous problems with the Airbus A220, Air Senegal is looking to replace the entire fleet with Embraer E195-E2 jets.

The failed delivery of two Airbus A220-300s last December and the grounding of one plane since November due to technical problems with the Pratt & Whitney 1500G engines has prompted Senegal's flag carrier to replace the Airbus models. The airline wants to acquire Embraer E195-E2 aircraft, which use similar Pratt & Whitney (PW) engines.

Last year, Air Senegal announced plans to acquire five Airbus A220-300s under a lease agreement with a division of Macquarie AirFinance. In 2019, the airline revealed a deal in which it planned to order eight of the A220 models and have them delivered by the end of 2023. However, after receiving the first few, Air Senegal will not go through with the agreement.

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Disruptions in the airline's operations

The problems faced by Air Senegal disrupted its daily operations. The carrier had scheduled maintenance for its two A321-200s and one ATR72 in January, with plans to use the A220s on routes operated by the aircraft under maintenance. The airline had to reduce the number of flights on each route to maintain its network.

During an interview with Italia Vola, Air Senegal's general director, Eric Iba Gueye, said that the rate of operational unavailability of this type of aircraft due to continuous inefficiencies and the delay in the delivery of two aircraft in December triggered a series of problems.

Eric Gueye is looking for another type of aircraft to add to the airline's modern fleet. However, the choice is more challenging than it sounds because the preferred E195-E2s use similar Pratt & Whitney (PW) engines. Many airlines operating aircraft types with PW engines face challenges, including unscheduled technical interventions.

Problems with the Pratt & Whitney engines

Air Senegal had chosen the A220-300 because it allowed it at least six hours of autonomy and had planned to fly it on its African routes and to Barcelona. The aircraft would have also started service to Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) in January. However, the engine problems have forced the airline to reconsider its choice, which might see other airlines follow suit.

This week IndiGo and another Indian carrier, Go First, announced that they will be grounding over 50 planes operating with Pratt & Whitney engines. The airline has a fleet of Airbus A320neo and A321 aircraft powered by PW engines; therefore, as many as 39 aircraft have been grounded since February 26.

Last month, Hawaiian Airlines was forced to ground two Airbus A321s due to unexpected engine maintenance issues. One of the A321s was delivered to the airline in May 2019 and has been grounded at Oakland International Airport (OAK) since November 21. The other aircraft has flown since late December, and both are powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1000 engines.

The problems with PW engines have most significantly affected airlines with small fleets. The little possibility of substituting the affected aircraft with other types has created challenges, affecting flight schedules, route networks, and overall turnaround time.

Do you think the Pratt & Whitney engine problems pose a substantial risk to airline operations? Let us know in the comments!

Source: ItaliaVola