This week, Flight Friday looks at just one aircraft family—the Airbus A320.
The A320 family (A319/A320/A321) has multiple engine options on both the legacy “ceo” (“current engine option”) and the more recent “neo” (“new engine option”) aircraft. With all the reported issues that some of the latest generation engines are having, namely the CFM Leap and the Pratt & Whitney GTF, we look at how the effects of these engine issues are impacting the number of flights the A320 family aircraft are completing.
If an operator has both “ceo” and “neo” powered aircraft, then it seems, from flight data, that the operators are favoring using the “neo” aircraft more. The “neo” offers fuel, therefore cost, savings when operating on the same routes as the “ceo.” This started after the outbreak of COVID, as operators looked to keep costs down, and has continued through to today.
However, with the ongoing durability issues, primarily of the GTF, the A320’s average flight per month has been on the decline. Back in July and August 2022, both the GTF and the Leap-powered A320 families were averaging around 120 flights per month. In June 2023, the Leap is still averaging around 120 flights per month, but the GTF-powered aircraft have dropped by around 10%, as the impact of the availability of spare GTFs becomes an uphill struggle for operators.
As a byproduct of the issues that are being seen on the latest generation of engines, the legacy engine-powered fleet is becoming more active. CFM56-powered A320 family aircraft are operating at a similar rate to the GTF-powered fleet, and with some operators keeping their aircraft in service a little longer, the V2500-powered fleet are also heading in a positive direction.
This uptick in utilization by the legacy engines is good news for the MRO community, as providers with engine shop capability can keep their workflow high. However, with that comes other issues for the MRO community, such as a lack of spares, a shortage of workforce, and parts overhauls with a prolonged turnaround time.
This data was put together using Aviation Week’s Tracked Aircraft Utilization tool.
Related Content
