KLM Cityhopper Embraer E190
INNSBRUCK, Austria—KLM Cityhopper is pressing Pratt & Whitney for detailed engine MRO plans to avoid possible grounding of aircraft in 2024.
KLM MD Maarten Koopmans told Aviation Daily Oct. 11 during the European Regions Airline Association (ERA) general assembly in Innsbruck, Austria, that its entire fleet of 65 Embraer is operating. However, there are still some issues with the Pratt & Whitney PW1900G Geared Turbofan (GTF) engines. “We all know these challenges, like we see on the [Airbus] A320neo fleet. But we see some challenges ahead, mainly regarding the capacity of MROs,” Koopmans said. “Because all these A320 engines have to go in for servicing. And we also have engines which are planned to go into maintenance. And that’s why I’m worried.”
Several aircraft types powered by PW1000G-family engines—including Embraer E2s, Airbus A220s and A320neo family aircraft—have been affected by several problems. Now, airlines will need to remove hundreds of PW1100G engines from airliner wings to inspect for defective high-pressure turbine and compressor discs. And that requires a lot of capacity at MRO facilities.
Koopmans said he has been pounding Pratt & Whitney to give him a plan. “And it is still not clear to us,” he said. “We have talked to them very intensively because I need to know for next season what can I expect. Do I need to ground aircraft, do they have enough spare engines available? It is not yet clear.”
Koopmans expects that KLM Cityhopper will have six to 10 engines out at the same time for servicing. “This is planned maintenance,” he said. “We need to take them for maintenance. We don’t have a choice.”
“There are some more issues we might expect. But the previous issues we had, we were able to solve,” he said. This was also with the help of Pratt & Whitney and Embraer, which they called the “Tiger team.”
Koopmans said the current dispatch reliability of its E195-E2 fleet is above 98%. “With the E2, we had some engine problems at the end of 2022 and beginning of 2023,” he said. “But I’m happy to say just when the summer season started, we had them all in the air.”
KLM Cityhopper operates an all-Embraer fleet of 65 aircraft, including 17 E175s, 30 E190s and 18 E195-E2s. The airline has seven additional E195-E2s on order, plus 25 options. Regarding a possible time frame to take these options, Koopmans described it as “a difficult story” and will be related to the Amsterdam Schiphol Airport capacity cap when it comes into place. “We have to see where this is going and if we know what we can expect,” he said. “At this moment it is too early to make a decision.”
The Amsterdam airport issue will also impact what aircraft will be phased out—the E190 or E175. It may also mean the company will not be able to grow more. “That’s a reality,” Koopmans said.
The Dutch government has decided that Amsterdam Schiphol Airport should be restricted to a total of 460,000 flights in a full year.
“I believe the cap will be temporary. Because the goal behind the cap is less noise and less emissions,” Koopmans said. “But the E2s already have 60% less noise, around 30% less emissions, and we are able to reach those goals. Then there should be an option to grow.”
Cityhopper is the base of the KLM European network. More than half of all KLM flights are operated with Cityhopper. “We are the largest operator at Schiphol,” Koopmans said. “However, our plan is not to grow, but to get smaller. This is in concert with KLM.” The current Embraer fleet could be downsized to 50 to 52 aircraft as KLM phases in A320neo aircraft. “The plan for us was also to secure slots for the mainline until KLM brings in bigger aircraft capacity,” Koopmans added.
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