(Yicai) Sept. 13 -- Nine Chinese carriers will be affected by an inspection Airbus’ engine supplier RTX will carry out on its PW1100 engines after an A320 new engine option aircraft of Air China experienced a mechanical engine failure while landing in Singapore.

There were 237 A320 jets equipped with the same PW1100 engine as the Air China one in the Chinese civil aviation market as of the end of August. Sichuan Airlines, Air China, and Shenzhen Airlines have 54, 49, and 29 planes, respectively, with the above engine, the most among Chinese carriers, data from flight info provider Flight Master showed. Sixty-one percent of Qingdao Airlines’ planes use the PW1100 engine. 

RTX is providing an update regarding the impact on the Pratt & Whitney GTF fleet caused by the use of powder metal in the manufacturing of certain engine parts, the parent company of PW, which supplies PW1100 engines to Airbus, announced on Sept. 10.

A fire broke out on an Air China’s A320neo from Chengdu to Singapore on Sept. 10. China’s flag carrier later concluded that the fire on the CA403 flight was caused by a failure of the jet’s engine.

PW is examining engines by serial number and talking with affected operators worldwide, RTX added. However, it is not yet known which Chinese airlines’ aircraft with the PW1100 need examination. Some airlines are thus considering shortening the replacement cycle of engine parts.

It is estimated that approximately 600 to 700 engines will need to undergo shop visits between 2023 and 2026. The majority of additional engine removals, as outlined in the fleet management plan, are expected to take place in 2023 and early 2024.

RTX needs to conduct inspections on 1,200 PW1100 engines produced between 2015 and 2021 and on more than 100 initial sets of operational engines no later than Sept. 15, the US engine maker announced in August.

Editor: Futura Costaglione