Airbus Cuts A320 Targets, Citing Pratt & Whitney Engine Shortages

Airbus has revised its production goals for the A320-family aircraft, citing a significant Pratt & Whitney engine shortage as the primary cause for the delay. The planemaker now targets a monthly rate of 70 to 75 aircraft by the end of 2027, pushing its ultimate goal of 75 aircraft per month to an unspecified date beyond 2027. This disruption in the A320neo family supply chain underscores the persistent manufacturing bottlenecks hindering the aerospace industry's post-pandemic recovery.

The adjustment represents a critical headwind for the European Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), which has been working to ramp up production to meet record demand from airlines. The A320neo family is a cornerstone of Airbus's business, accounting for 607 of the 793 commercial aircraft the company delivered in 2025, according to its official delivery report. The inability to secure a sufficient supply of Pratt & Whitney (P&W) PW1100G engines directly impacts the company's ability to meet its 2026 delivery target of 870 total commercial aircraft.

Contractual Dispute and Production Impact

During an annual results briefing, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury openly criticized the engine maker, a subsidiary of RTX Corporation (RTX). "We have a contract with our friends from Pratt & Whitney, but they are not respecting our contractual rights, so we have begun a process to resolve this," Faury stated. He specified that the issue stems from a failure to meet agreed-upon volumes for new engines destined for the Final Assembly Line (FAL).

Faury added, "Pratt & Whitney has resigned from the orders we had placed, and they had accepted for the volumes in 2026... We'll continue to work hard to enforce our contractual rights, which we believe are not respected in that case." This public dispute highlights the severe pressure on the aerospace supply chain, where engine availability has become the main constraint on aircraft production.

Root Cause: The GTF Powder Metal Defect

The delivery delays are directly linked to a widespread manufacturing issue within P&W's Geared Turbofan (GTF) engine family. According to disclosures from RTX, a contaminated powdered metal used in high-pressure turbine disks between the fourth quarter of 2015 and the third quarter of 2021 is the root cause. This defect has necessitated a massive inspection and repair program.

An estimated 600 to 700 Pratt & Whitney GTF engines are slated for removal and inspection between 2023 and 2026. This has forced the engine manufacturer to prioritize its maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) capacity to support the in-service fleet rather than supplying new engines to Airbus. The operational impact on airlines has been severe, with data from Cirium indicating that approximately one-third of the global Airbus fleet equipped with GTF engines is currently grounded. The average turnaround time for these mandated engine inspections has ballooned from 60 to over 300 days, further exacerbating the airline fleet groundings.

Industry-Wide Consequences

The ongoing aerospace supply chain crisis has created a ripple effect across the industry. Airlines that invested in new-generation aircraft to improve fuel efficiency and expand routes are now facing significant delays and capacity constraints. The scarcity of new engines and long MRO turnaround times have also driven up the value of used engines and components, leading some operators to part-out nearly new aircraft to harvest critical parts.

Despite the production challenges, P&W's parent company, RTX, reported strong financial performance. According to its Q4 2025 earnings call, the Pratt & Whitney division saw a 17% organic sales growth for the full year 2025, with an adjusted operating profit of $2.7 billion. This suggests that the high-margin MRO work on the troubled GTF engines is offsetting the issues related to new engine deliveries. More details on the company's performance are available through RTX investor relations.

Airbus continues to navigate these challenges while working to stabilize its supply chain. The company's official targets and delivery figures are detailed in its newsroom releases.

Why This Matters

This conflict between Airbus and Pratt & Whitney highlights the extreme fragility of the global aerospace supply chain and its inability to keep pace with airline demand. The dispute demonstrates how a single, highly complex component can derail the strategic production plans of a major aircraft manufacturer. For airlines and passengers, this translates into continued delays for new aircraft, potentially impacting fleet renewal schedules, capacity growth, and the availability of more fuel-efficient travel options.

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