Engine issues hit Wizz Air profits as Pratt & Whitney looks to GTF Advantage for long-term fix
July 24, 2025
Wizz Air’s bottom line continues to suffer from ongoing issues with Pratt & Whitney’s GTF engines, problems that now go beyond the well-known powder metal contamination.
The low-cost carrier reported a significantly weaker-than-expected operating profit for the first quarter of fiscal 2026. It reported an operating profit of €27 million ($31.8 million) for the three months to June 30, significantly less than the €87 million projected by analysts and down 38% from a year ago.
This comes on the back of earnings of €1.1 billion ($1.26 billion) in 2024, which were down by around €67 million ($79 million) from the year before.
Notably, the airline now expects the ongoing grounding of its A320neo family aircraft to last until March 2027, a year later than originally planned.
Wizz Air GTF groundings to last until 2027
As an airline that operates an all-Airbus fleet, Wizz is more affected than most by the Pratt & Whitney GTF recall. Its 164 A320neo-family aircraft, almost 70% of its 236-strong fleet, are all powered by the PW1100G.
“The well-documented issues relating to Pratt & Whitney’s GTF engines led to 41 neo aircraft being grounded at the end of the quarter vs 46 aircraft this quarter last year,” says Jozsef Varadi, Wizz Air CEO.
Things are improving, as the airline noted it expects the average number of grounded aircraft in 2026 to be 35, compared to an average of 44 last year. But it’s not just the tainted metal issue that is causing problems for Wizz.
“Our operations have been impacted by the poorer-than-specified performance of the GTF engine, with a significantly lower time on wing before an inspection is required,” Varadi adds. “This has compounded the issue of MRO congestion.”
The company also noted that it is currently carrying more than twice the number of spare engines than would typically be expected and is contractually obliged to do so. While an agreement with Pratt & Whitney is expected to supply additional engines to help restore capacity, the financial strain is already evident.
Pratt & Whitney is looking to the GTF Advantage for a long-term fix
While Wizz Air grapples with the operational consequences, parent company RTX has acknowledged the problems and is doubling down on solutions.
During its most recent earnings call, Pratt & Whitney parent RTX Corporation noted a 22% improvement in PW1100 MRO output in the last quarter and a goal to enhance this even further.
“We remain on track for over 30% MRO output improvement for the full year, which is a key enabler to reducing AOGs in the second half,” says RTX CEO Chris Calio “We are not taking our foot, by any measure, off the pedal.”
The company has developed a new additive manufacturing repair for critical GTF engine components that will reduce process time by more than 60%. It is working to industrialise the repair, which will then be scaled and applied throughout the global GTF MRO network.
Longer term, Pratt & Whitney is looking ahead to the introduction of the GTF Advantage as a fix and a major benefit for its customers. With higher takeoff thrust, fuel efficiency gains and a more durable hot section, the now-certified engine is expected to enter into service in early 2026.
RTX CEO Calio said that the GTF Advantage will double the time on wing of the current PW1100 engine, while the Hot Section Plus upgrade – a 35-part retrofit for current GTF engines – will deliver 90-95% of the benefits of the GTF Advantage.
“The [GTF] Advantage is going to have a significant time on wing benefit,” says Calio. “I do expect it to be a significant shot in the arm for the program and for the fleet.”
Pratt & Whitney has also committed to increasing its global network of MRO centres from 17 to 20, which should help alleviate current capacity bottlenecks.
It also continues to secure substantial GTF engine orders, including 177 aircraft for Wizz Air and 91 for Frontier Airlines, reinforcing its presence in the single-aisle aircraft market.
While the GTF Advantage and associated upgrades offer a pathway to long-term resolution, the near-term reality remains difficult for Wizz Air.
Wizz Air retreats from Abu Dhabi and cuts A321XLR orders
Alongside engine challenges, Wizz Air is also stepping back from its expansion plans in the Middle East. The airline recently confirmed it would exit the Abu Dhabi market by September 2025, citing “frequent airspace closures and disruptions” due to regional instability.
“We approach FY26 with a clear vision of our strategy to focus our business on markets that satisfy two important criteria,” Váradi says. “Firstly, to ensure we are operating in so-called environmentally benign operating environments and secondly, in markets where we already have or will have market share. Our core Central and Eastern European markets satisfy both.”
The airline is also rationalising its A321XLR programme and retiring early several A320ceo family aircraft to realign its network strategy with fleet availability. Wizz Air currently operates 236 aircraft and remains Europe’s largest A320neo-family operator.
Wizz carried 17 million passengers in the quarter, up 10.6% year-on-year. Operational metrics have also shown improvement, with a completion rate of 99.15% and on-time performance rising to 76.35%, an 8.7 percentage point increase from the previous year.
