Wizz Air picks Pratt & Whitney as engine supplier for existing Airbus order

(Reuters) -European low-cost carrier Wizz Air said on Tuesday it has selected RTX's Pratt & Whitney as the engine supplier for 177 of its Airbus A321neo narrowbody jets on order.

The announcement underscores Wizz Air's commitment to its existing engine partner even as issues with Pratt & Whitney's GTF engines have forced the airline and several others to ground multiple aircraft. It brings Wizz's total order for GTF-powered aircraft to 453.

The low-cost carrier, which operates an all-Airbus fleet, had to pick between its current supplier Pratt & Whitney and competitor CFM, a joint venture between GE Aerospace and France's Safran SAF.PA>.

A defect in the powder metal used to make high-pressure turbines and compressor discs has impacted certain Pratt & Whitney GTF engines, disrupting airlines globally, especially those flying Airbus A320neo-family jets.

Reuters reported on Monday that Wizz's engine order would form part of a settlement with Pratt & Whitney over groundings caused by repair times.

"Together with today's agreement, the airline has also secured a special support package to enhance operational stability during this period and mitigate the financial and operational impact of grounded aircraft," the engine maker said.

Wizz CEO Jozsef Varadi had said at the Airline Economics conference in Dublin in January that issues with the engines of the airline's grounded aircraft could last four or five years.

The carrier had 37 aircraft grounded as of May 9. It expects 34 aircraft to remain grounded by the end of the first half of its 2026 financial year.

Pratt & Whitney will also provide Wizz with engine maintenance through a long-term service agreement, the companies said on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Shivansh Tiwary and DhanushVignesh Babu in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)