According to Aviation Week Network (AWN). Airbus will swap the deliveries of its A320neo aircraft from launch customer Qatar Airways to Lufthansa, thus the German carrier becoming the first airline to take delivery of the type.
The industry sources quoted in the AWN report cited that the change was due to operational constraints in place for the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engine, pending some hardware and software changes due to be implemented “within a matter of weeks.” The possibility of “a slight delay” due to engine issues began to circulate back in June 2015 as reported by Jon Ostrower and The Wall Street Journal.
Just in a press conference held today in New York, Qatar Airways GCEO Mr. Akbar Al Baker remained confident that he expects a “Christmas miracle” and “that Airbus will deliver the A320neo before the end of the year” but added that if there are delays Pratt & Whitney would be on the hook. Nevertheless, the AWN report indicates that Qatar was reluctant to take delivery of the A320neo under such operational limitations “and will not do so until the restrictions are lifted.”
An Airbus spokesperson confirmed to AirwaysNews that “we are in talks with our customers about the first deliveries of their aircraft though it is their privilege to announce the delivery date. We do confirm our plan to start the neo delivery stream this year.”
During the Dubai Air Show in November 2011, Qatar Airways placed orders (firm and options) for 80 of Airbus’ new A320neos. Interestingly, Qatar Airways was the first airline in the world to operate every family of Airbus’ modern airliner portfolio, comprising the A320, A330, A340, A350 and A380. These delays aren’t without precedent. The carrier was the launch customer of the Airbus A350 XWB one year ago also after a week-long delay upon request of Mr. Al Baker due to cabin finishing issues.
And during his association with Cargolux Airlines, Mr. Al Baker also opted to postpone the delivery of the first Boeing 747-8 Freighter days before the expected handover. The airline attributed the decision to “unresolved contractual issues” with Boeing.
The report states that Lufthansa Group CEO Carsten Spohr confirmed that the airline and Airbus are negotiating the delivery scheduled to be on December 22. However, given the regulatory issues to clear and a financial compensation requested by Lufthansa, these negotiations might not get to fruition.
If Lufthansa and Airbus agree on the delivery of the A320neo, the carrier would start serving the Frankfurt – Hamburg route on January 6, and the A320neo delivery order would place Qatar Airways as the second A320neo operator, followed by Indian low-cost carrier IndiGo.
At this point, however nothing is cast in stone or aluminum.
Airways News
EASA and FAA certify PW powered A320NEO
The world’s best-selling single aisle aircraft, the A320neo, has received joint Type Certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on 24th November 2015. The certified aircraft is powered by Pratt & Whitney Pure Power PW1100G-JM engines.
The EASA A320neo type Certificate was signed by EASA’s Certification Director Trevor Woods and the FAA A320neo Type Certificate by Jeffrey Duven, FAA Manager of Transport Airplane Directorate – Aircraft Certification Service. The Type Certificates were handed over to Airbus’ Executive Vice President Engineering, Charles Champion and Airbus A320neo Chief Engineer Pierre-Henri Brousse.
“This double seal of approval represents a great achievement for Airbus. It recognizes the hard work performed by all the teams at Airbus and Pratt & Whitney. It demonstrates the A320neo is meeting all requirements,” said Fabrice Brégier, Airbus President and CEO. “The A320neo is now cleared for its first delivery and ready to offer many airlines its winning combination of unbeatable economics and outstanding cabin comfort.”
The A320neo successfully completed a rigorous programme of certification which tested its airframe and systems well beyond their design limits to ensure the aircraft successfully met all airworthiness criteria.
The three flight test aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney engines successfully accumulated over 1,070 flight hours in some 350 flights. Of these 1,070 flight test hours, 300 were completed with the same aircraft in an airline like environment to ensure operational maturity at entry into service.
The A320neo with Pratt & Whitney engines is the first variant in the NEO Family to receive Type Certification. The A320neo with CFM engines will be certified in the coming months, the A321neo and A319neo in both engines variants will follow.
The A320neo Family incorporates latest technologies including new generation engines and Sharklet wing tip devices, which together deliver more than 15 percent in fuel savings from day one and 20 percent by 2020 with further cabin innovations. Launched on 1st December 2010, the A320neo offers airlines an engine choice between the Pratt & Whitney Pure Power PW1100G-JM and the CFM International LEAP 1A engines. With more than 4,300 orders received from over 75 customers since its launch in 2010, the A320neo Family has captured some 60 percent share of the market.
Airbus