Global – Airline chief executives at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Annual General Meeting in Rio de Janeiro have delivered a broad indictment of commercial jet engine manufacturers, warning that grounded aircraft and elevated maintenance costs will persist for years and directly constrain carrier growth and profitability.

Hundreds of Airbus A320neo family aircraft remain grounded globally due to extended wait times for Pratt & Whitney GTF engine inspections and repairs, stemming from a manufacturing contamination issue that has affected GTF durability and output; ITA Airways CEO Joerg Eberhart disclosed that close to 20% of the Italian carrier's fleet is grounded, complicating expansion plans; Cathay Pacific CEO Ronald Lam stated that approximately half of the 10 A320s operated by HK Express are grounded at any given time due to GTF issues; and LATAM Brasil CEO Jerome Cadier confirmed 12 single-aisle aircraft are currently grounded.
Airlines have also cited issues with engines produced by Rolls-Royce and GE Aerospace across Boeing and Airbus platforms, with United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby naming Rolls-Royce as the manufacturer he is most dissatisfied with, while crediting GE Aerospace as working hardest to address problems and acknowledging Pratt & Whitney's willingness to resolve its issues.
WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech stated that higher unscheduled maintenance costs on modern engines are eroding projected fuel savings, with total cost of ownership significantly exceeding pre-delivery expectations.
IATA CEO Willie Walsh highlighted a disconnect between engine manufacturer financial performance — with margins up double digits — and approximately $11 billion in additional costs absorbed by airlines as a result of supply chain disruptions.
Avolon CEO Andy Cronin said the global fleet remains very tight and expects the strain on the market to persist for at least another couple of years, despite incremental year-on-year improvement.

Statements

"Obviously there is dissatisfaction, and the way to measure that dissatisfaction is how many aircraft I have grounded today," said Jerome Cadier, CEO, LATAM Brasil.
"Year-on-year we're certainly seeing incremental improvement. When you look at the global fleet overall it continues to be very tight, so we expect the strain on the market to continue for at least another couple of years," said Andy Cronin, CEO, Avolon.
"I think the biggest constraint for at least the next five years is going to be lack of engines. GE is working hard. I'll put them at the top of the list. Pratt has had well-publicized challenges, but is sincere and genuine in their desire to want to fix them and to work with us. The truth is the only one that I sort of have in my doghouse is Rolls," said Scott Kirby, CEO, United Airlines.
"There's a lot of unscheduled maintenance that's happening. The cost of ownership is significantly higher than what we had anticipated," said Alexis von Hoensbroech, CEO, WestJet.
"They've done extremely well at a time of major disruption for the airlines. And I think that paradox really does need to be called out," said Willie Walsh, CEO, IATA.
"Just as airlines are suffering, I would also like to see engine makers' margins suffer," said Jerome Cadier, CEO, LATAM Brasil.

Source: IATA, LATAM, Avolon, WestJet, Cathay Pacific, United

Global Airline Industry Chief Executives Warn of Multi-Year Engine Supply Constraints and Elevated Maintenance Costs at 2026 IATA Summit

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