RIO DE JANEIRO, June 7 - Italy's ITA Airways is weighing legal action against aerospace supplier RTX's Pratt & Whitney after engine troubles left almost 20% of the carrier's 80-aircraft fleet grounded, the airline said on Sunday.
The airline's chief executive said a final determination on whether to initiate a lawsuit will come in the next six to eight weeks. The CEO described the decision as imminent and framed it against the broader backdrop of a global issue affecting A320neo aircraft.
"It's imminent," the CEO of ITA Airways said on the sidelines of a global gathering of top airline executives in Rio de Janeiro. "We will have to decide within the next six to eight weeks."
The engine problems are not isolated to ITA. Hundreds of A320neo planes, the newest variant of Airbus' single-aisle family, have been grounded in multiple jurisdictions. Sources cite extended wait times for engine inspections and repairs as a contributing operational issue, and a manufacturing defect at Pratt & Whitney that has placed strain on the supply of GTF engines for these Airbus models.
Operationally, ITA reported that the engine difficulties have resulted in nearly one in five of its aircraft being unavailable for service. The company has not yet committed to specific next steps beyond the timeline for a legal decision.
RTX did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the potential legal action or the broader engine availability issues.
The situation combines manufacturing, maintenance, and legal elements and has implications across airlines that operate A320neo jets, the aerospace suppliers that produce and service those engines, and maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) providers tasked with inspections and repairs.
Given the stated timeline, industry participants and stakeholders will be watching closely over the coming weeks for any formal legal filing or further operational updates from ITA and responses from RTX or Pratt & Whitney.