It's no secret that airBaltic has fallen victim to Pratt & Whitney's supply chain issues in recent times. Earlier this year we were told that an engine replacement that would have once taken 90 days to complete, now takes about eight months. As a result, the carrier has had to wet-lease aircraft and cut routes. Speaking with Simple Flying, the airline's CEO Martin Gauss notes that airBaltic is far from the end of this turmoil as he sees this extending into 2025.

Missing engines and a frustrated CEO

Highlighting one of the main drawbacks of operating a single-type fleet, airBaltic has been badly stung by Pratt & Whitney's issues. The airline exclusively operates a fleet of Airbus A220-300s, which are powered by Pratt & Whitney engines. Once the powerplants need regular or unexpected servicing (and the routine parts replacements that come with this process), the carrier is stuck.

The Airbus A220 is exclusively powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney PW1500G GTF (geared turbofan) engines, specifically tailored for the A220. Speaking with Simple Flying, airBaltic's CEO explained his bitter-sweet experience with the engine - praising it for its exceptional performance and efficiency while also expressing frustration that he can't get enough of them within a reasonable timeframe.

"The engine itself is good, and it delivers, but we do not have enough of them, and therefore we have aircraft on the ground."

airbaltic a220
Photo: airBaltic

Gauss explained that airBaltic gets weekly updates from Pratt & Whitney on the amount of engines that will be incoming. In turn, the airline has planned its busy summer travel season accordingly. However, last minute changes from Pratt & Whitney has scuttled airBaltics plans, with Gauss noting that there will be more engines missing than what was first reported. The airline CEO even stated that a specific lower-level worker at Pratt & Whitney "didn't do his job," and this is the reason for the sudden changes. "I even know a name, which I will not mention," Gauss notes, clearly expressing his frustration over the situation while trying to hold back further details.

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A good engine (when it's operating)

In our conversation with Gauss, he emphasized that the engine is a good engine. He also notes that it keeps getting better as Pratt & Whitney makes modifications to improve the powerplant,

"So the engine we got six years ago, it wasn't as good as it is today. And in six years it will be even better. When we got the engine it delivered more fuel burn savings and emissions savings than what was contracted. "

airbaltic a220
Photo: airBaltic.

But, what it doesn't do, Gauss says, is stay on the wing as long as an established, non-GTF engine. And with airBaltic fully dependent on the A220, extending the time it can remain on the wing is something that needs to improve. "The engine is good, and Pratt and Whitney is a good company," Gauss notes.

Solution: Take more new aircraft early?

Gauss notes that he understands Pratt & Whitney's troubles and would simply prefer to have clear and accurate information to build his airline's scheduling on. His message to the engine-maker was "please tell us if that plan is not coming true, then we will take more aircraft in early." Instead, the carrier is forced to tell its passengers that they'll be transported on an aircraft that they didn't expect or specifically pay for.

Ultimately, the CEO is convinced that his airline will go back to "zero missing engines" by 2025. Whether it's the first-half or second-half is still unclear, but the arrival of brand new A220s from Airbus (and the fact that they utilize brand new PW1500Gs) should go a long way in mitigating further disruption. "Each new aircraft coming in comes with two engines which are all equally modified, that means they are much longer on the wing than an engine which has to go off the wing at modification come back and so on."

What do you think of airBaltic's situation? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment!

  • airBaltic A220
    airBaltic
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    BI/BTI
    Airline Type:
    Hybrid Carrier
    Hub(s):
    Riga International Airport
    Year Founded:
    1995
    CEO:
    Martin Gauss
    Country:
    Latvia