Airbus and Pratt & Whitney say the engine problems that have disrupted the Airbus A220 fleet for several years should largely disappear by the end of 2026, following a sharp decline in the number of aircraft grounded because of the PW1500G geared turbofan.
Guillaume Chevasson, head of the A220 program and chief executive of Airbus Canada, said the aircraft-on-ground (AOG) crisis is effectively over. According to Airbus, only 2% to 3% of parked A220s remain out of service because of engine-related issues, compared with about 17% of the global fleet late last year.
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July 14, 2026
The A220 has been one of the programs most heavily affected by Pratt & Whitney’s GTF reliability problems because it is available with only one engine type. By comparison, Airbus A320neo-family operators can choose between the PW1100G and the competing CFM LEAP engine. Embraer’s E190-E2 and E195-E2 also use Pratt & Whitney GTF engines, although the Brazilian manufacturer has faced fewer operational disruptions.
Several airlines have struggled to keep their A220 fleets in service. Swiss temporarily withdrew its entire fleet of A220-100s so their engines could support operations of the larger A220-300. EgyptAir decided to retire the type from its fleet, while airBaltic repeatedly warned that grounded aircraft were affecting its finances. ITA Airways has also sought compensation from Pratt & Whitney after several A220s remained unavailable for extended periods.
The engine shortages have weighed on the A220 program even as the aircraft celebrated ten years in commercial service. Airbus has yet to turn the program into a profitable one and earlier this year reduced its 2026 production target to 12 aircraft per month, partly because of engine availability.
Pratt & Whitney has expanded maintenance capacity and introduced technical improvements intended to reduce shop visit times and return more engines to service. Airbus and the engine manufacturer expect those measures to eliminate GTF-related A220 groundings before the end of the year.
