Airbus and Pratt & Whitney Signal End to A220 Engine Crisis by Year-End

Airbus and Pratt & Whitney have announced that the reliability problems affecting the geared turbofan (GTF) engines powering the A220 family are on track for resolution by the end of 2026. Guillaume Chevasson, head of the A220 program and CEO of Airbus Canada, was unequivocal at a media briefing held at the Mirabel production facility in late June: "The AOG crisis is over," he said, adding that technical issues affecting the fleet are now "close to zero."

The PW1500G engine, which powers the A220 has been at the center of a broader crisis affecting Pratt & Whitney's GTF family. As of November 2025, approximately 17% of the global A220 fleet was parked or inactive. That figure has since fallen dramatically, currently only 2-3% of grounded A220s are due to GTF engine issues, with other parked aircraft sitting out for reasons such as heavy maintenance or general storage.

What Airbus and Pratt & Whitney Are Saying

Both manufacturers confirm that technical fixes and expanded maintenance capacity should mean no A220 aircraft remain grounded due to GTF engine problems by the close of 2026. The A220 program has been particularly affected because the aircraft depends solely on the PW1500G engine, unlike the A320neo family, which offers customers a choice between the Pratt & Whitney GTF and the CFM LEAP. In April 2026, Pratt & Whitney reached a major milestone when its upgraded GTF Advantage engine achieved EASA certification for the A320neo and A321neo families.

The Impact on Operators

Airlines flying the A220 have felt the strain acutely. Air Baltic has publicly criticized the situation, citing significant financial impact from grounded aircraft. Swiss grounded its entire sub-fleet of nine A220-100s in 2026 to conserve scarce engine resources for its larger A220-300 fleet. ITA Airways is seeking approximately €150 million in damages from Pratt & Whitney after several of its aircraft were grounded in Naples for over a year. 

PW1500G engines powering the A220 take approximately 200 days for a shop visit, while the larger PW1100G engines on the A320neo family take approximately 300 days. Those figures have begun to decline as Pratt & Whitney adds capacity and refines its repair processes.

Broader GTF Issues and Legal Action

The A220 engine problems are related to, though distinct from, the powder metal contamination issue that has affected the PW1100G engines on the A320neo family, prompting a large-scale inspection program announced by RTX in 2023. The crisis has been so severe that both families have seen a handful of very early aircraft retirements to provide engines for grounded aircraft still in service.

In March 2026, Airbus launched a formal damages claim against Pratt & Whitney over GTF engine delivery failures that pushed early 2026 deliveries approximately 20% below the previous year's pace. 

What Comes Next

Airbus has trimmed its 2026 A220 production ambition to 12 aircraft per month, reflecting both engine availability constraints and a recalibration of supply and demand. Orders for the type have continued to grow, with carriers including Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, and Qantas placing significant commitments in recent years. 

Airlines remain cautiously optimistic. While the promised resolution by year-end 2026 is welcome news, operators will want to see engine availability improve in practice before declaring the crisis truly over.