Wizz Air intends to conclude the engine-related grounding of its Airbus aircraft by the end of 2027, but has not yet seen any improvement in the Pratt & Whitney supply issues that have kept dozens of its jets out of active service, the airline’s Chief Financial Officer Ian Malin has said.
Speaking at the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading (ISTAT) conference in Prague, Malin noted that the number of Wizz Air aircraft grounded, due to prolonged waiting times for inspections and repairs of Pratt & Whitney’s geared turbofan (GTF) engines, has decreased to 38 from a peak of nearly 60.
“Overall, the plan right now is to get the entire fleet unparked by the end of calendar year 2027. That is the target that we’re working towards,” Malin said during the conference. “That will be challenging, especially when we’re sitting here with 38 aircraft [grounded].”
In its financial results for FY2025 ended March 31, 2025, Wizz Air reported a 61.7% decline in operating profit, which fell to €167.5 million from €437.9 million in FY2024, citing “significant challenges”.
The airline has faced difficulties competing financially with other European airlines and has maintained a negative outlook. According to the airline, it has faced “slower than expected recovery driven by the high level of groundings from the GTF engine issue”.
Since 2023, Wizz Air has encountered significant issues with its Airbus A320neo family aircraft, primarily due to powder metal defects affecting the Pratt & Whitney GTF engines, resulting in the grounding of numerous Airbus A320neo family aircraft globally.
While engine-related groundings continue, Pratt & Whitney has provided a support package to Wizz Air to help mitigate the financial and operational impact caused by the affected aircraft.
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