LANGKAWI, Malaysia—Embraer says its Pratt & Whitney PW1000G powered E2 airliners appear to be less affected by the reliability issues currently faced by some Airbus operators, although it is currently working with the engine manufacturer to secure spare engines.
“We’re not immune to the issues,” Embraer commercial unit Chief Commercial Officer Martyn Holmes told Aviation Daily at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) airshow. “I would say this: We have not been affected at the same level that you’ve seen on the A320neos and the A220s.” The company added that its fleet in service statistics confirm the E2 is less affected than other platforms; four times fewer events and zero In-Flight Shut Downs (IFSD).
Holmes explained that the E2s entered into service in 2018 with a more mature engine configuration. Also, he said, the E2 is significantly lighter and therefore less demanding on the engine, especially on the climb. The E190-E2 and E195-E2 has a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 56.4 tons and 61.5 tons, respectively, compared to the A220-100 and A220-300’s 63.5 tons and 70.9 tons, respectively.
Embraer did not specify exactly how many aircraft are affected but Aviation Week Network’s Fleet Discovery database shows there are currently 74 PW1000G-powered E2 jets in service globally. An additional 11 are either parked or stored; five of the parked aircraft are operated by KLM Cityhopper.
“One thing that drives those [aircraft-on-ground] sometimes is availability of spare engines. Pratt & Whitney have now got to work through getting the MRO turnaround time reduced and get them out of the shop,” Holmes said. “We are just working on that at the moment and getting spare engines to support the [affected airline’s] operations.”
Separately, Holmes said there are multiple pain points throughout the supply chain, and the company has appointed Embraer staff in these suppliers to identify and work internally to solve the issue.
“I think that’s the more progressive way of managing supply chains, is to get in there and understand how we can provide solutions to work with our suppliers to meet those targets,” Holmes said.
Embraer’s production level was severely affected by the pandemic-related supply chain disruption, at one point nearly half of its 100 per annum 2019 rate. It is projecting 65 to 70 aircraft for 2023.
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