Spirit Airlines Grounds 7 Planes Due to Engine Issues, Revenue Hit Expected
Spirit Airlines will ground seven Airbus A320neo planes due to an issue with Pratt & Whitney's GTF engines, following a quality control problem with the engines' manufacturing. RTX, the owner of Pratt & Whitney, expects around 200 engines to be inspected by mid-September and another 1,000 engines within the next year. The grounding of the planes will impact Spirit Airlines' September revenue, as it is the largest operator of GTF-powered NEO planes in the U.S. The budget carrier may need to remove more engines in the future, and this development adds to the financial challenges the airline has already faced due to weather issues and air traffic control challenges.