JetBlue Delays Its New Aircraft Because of Reliability Issues
Photo Credit: A JetBlue Airways A320 on the ground in Atlanta. JetBlue is making some tweaks to its fleet plan. JetBlue Airways / JetBlue Airways
Skift Take
New JetBlue CFO Steve Priest has been leaving his mark on the airline in only a few months on the job. Expect him to make many more important decisions in the near future. The biggest? He'll have a big say in whether the airline flies to Europe.
With engine manufacturer Pratt and Whitney struggling with reliability on its new geared turbofan engine, JetBlue Airways said Tuesday it will exclusively take an older engine version of the Airbus A321 next year, rather than the mix of old and new it had planned.
The change affects only three aircraft, but it's an interesting decision, as many airlines — even those spooked by engine issues — have rushed to add the new-generation aircraft, called the Airbus A321neo. Hawaiian Airlines executives have said the aircraft will allow the carrier to fly to new Western U.S. cities that might not have been profitable in the past. And Hawaiian has been relatively patient despite delays in its A321neo delivery schedule.
According to Airbus, the new aircraft is 20 percent more efficient than older versions, and can fly up to 500 miles farther than its predecessors. Virgin America took the first A321neo earlier this month, though its engines are made by a Pratt and Whitney competitor.
