Wizz Air says 40 planes to stay grounded through fiscal 2026 amid engine woes

(Reuters) – Wizz Air on Tuesday said it had signed a new support agreement with defence and aerospace firm RTX’s Pratt & Whitney amid engine woes, adding that it expects 40 of its planes to stay grounded through fiscal year 2026.

The low-cost Hungarian airline said Pratt & Whitney will provide commercial support, including operational assistance and a compensation package for direct costs related to grounded aircraft, through the end of 2026.

Budapest-headquartered Wizz Air, which flies an all-Airbus fleet, has had to navigate additional challenges after Pratt & Whitney in 2023 said more than 1,000 engines needed to be removed from Airbus planes and checked for microscopic cracks.

In September 2023, Wizz Air had estimated a potential 10% capacity reduction in the second half of fiscal 2024, due to the inspection of Pratt & Whitney’s turbofans.

In November this year, it posted a bigger-than-expected drop in first-half profit, citing ongoing issues with engine inspections that grounded its Airbus planes and the impact of conflict in the Middle East.

Wizz Air also said it expects to return to growth by taking 50 new Airbus A321NEO deliveries and growing seat capacity by about 20% during 2026.