the India Aviation exhibition at Hyderabad
between March 16 and 20.
The low-cost carrier’s second and third
jets were handed over on March 15 and 31
respectively and services with the new variant
started on March 18.
Qatar Airways outspoken CEO, Akbar Al
Baker, said “we already have four aircraft sitting
on the ground at Toulouse with no engines.
We will give Pratt a certain time”, but “we will
not wait inde nitely.” According to Flightglobal
in early April Al Baker “expresed con dence
that P&W has addressed his concerns”.
In February, Pratt & Whitney began
shipping improved PW1100G-series engines
to Airbus, which are expected to appear under
the wings of A320neo family airliners delivered
from June. Speaking on March 2, duringthe ground-breaking ceremony for the A330
completion centre at Tianjin in China, Airbus
Chief Executive Fabrice Brégier con dently
announced: “[Airbus] will have a very reliable
A320neo with Pratt & Whitney engines,
which will allow us to ramp up production and
deliveries in the second half of the year.”
Aviation News contacted Pratt &
Whitney for a statement on the situation, a
spokeswoman stated: “Lufthansa started
ying passengers on the Airbus A320neo with
Pratt & Whitney engines in late January and
we currently have a 99% dispatch reliability
rate. We are proud that the aircraft are able
to y without operational restrictions. We
have several positive Geared Turbofan engine
developments that are resolving the motor-
to-start and nuisance message items. Theremaining nuisance faults are being addressed
and will be in the engines scheduled for
delivery this summer.”
Eight different weight variants for the
A320neo were listed at the time the joint type
certi cate was approved, with maximum
take-off masses of 70, 73.5, 77 or 79 tonnes
and maximum landing weights of 66.3 or 67.4
tonnes. All have the mark number 271n.
When the LEAP-1A-powered A320neo
is certi ed, a further mark number will be
allocated, with several different weight options
offered. Aircraft with this engine are expected
to be available for delivery from the middle of
this year.OTHER VARIANTS
Work is also under way on the other members
of the A320neo family, the longer A321neo
and shorter A319neo, which feature similar
improvements. It was originally planned that
the rst A321neo to y would be powered by
PW1133Gs, but this changed to the LEAP-1A
earlier this year.
Prototype A321-251n D-AVXB (msn 6839)
rst ew on February 9 at Finkenwerder Airport
in Hamburg, landing at Toulouse. It suffered
a tail strike on arrival at Perpignan a few days
later and was ferried back to Toulouse for
repairs.
D-AVXA (msn 6673), the rst powered by
PW1133Gs, joined the ight test campaign on
March 9.
Airbus plans to offer four different weight
variants, from 89 to 93.5 tonnes. Delivery
of the rst PW1133G-powered A321neos is
expected before the end of this year, followed
by LEAP-1A aircraft by early 2017.
In October 2014 Airbus released details of
a higher weight, long-range version, offered
as a replacement for Boeing 757s used on
transatlantic services. With a maximum take-
off weight of 97 tonnes, a third auxiliary fuel
tank and a 2% improvement in fuel burn, the
long-range A321neo will be able to y 4,600
miles (7,410km).
Air Lease Corporation has been identi ed
as the launch customer for the variant, after
signing a memorandum of understanding for 30
in January 2015. Deliveries are due from 2019.
The prototype A319neo (A319-171n
D-AVWA, msn 6464), powered by PW1124Gs,
was completed at Finkenwerder by the end of
January; its rst ight had not been reported
by the time of going to press. To date, 58The A320neo on its maiden ight which
took place on September 25 last year.
Airbus – master fi lms/P Pigeyre58 Aviation News incorporating Classic Aircraft June 2016A close-up of the P&W1127G engine. Airbus – master fi lms/F LancelotThe CFM International LEAP-1A on a A321neo. Airbus56-59_a320DC.mf.indd 58 06/05/2016 14:47