Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on September 1, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Wizz Air is in talks with Pratt & Whitney to expedite engine servicing, aiming to resolve fleet grounding issues and improve share performance.
By Joanna Plucinska
LONDON (Reuters) -Wizz Air is working towards a deal with RTX-owned jet engine maker Pratt & Whitney to accelerate the servicing of its engines, delays with which have left large chunks of the European low-cost carrier's fleet grounded, its CEO told Reuters on Monday.
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, like Wizz, flying Airbus A320neo-family jets.
If the previously unreported talks result in a deal, it could help Wizz get its fleet back up to full speed faster, boost investor confidence and lift the carrier's struggling share price. The firm's exit from the Abu Dhabi market earlier this summer also gave it some support.
Wizz Air's all-Airbus fleet has been hit particularly hard by the defect as the entire industry grapples with delayed supply chains on repairs and maintenance.
Shares in Wizz Air have been among the worst performers in the European airlines market in the last year in large part due to the groundings.
Wizz is aiming to finalize the accelerated deal with Pratt & Whitney ahead of reporting its first half-year results on November 13, Jozsef Varadi said.
He added that the talks with P&W were more broadly associated with a purchase deal for more engines announced in Paris in June.
"We're going to be seeing a lot of engines going into shops for maintenance work," Varadi told Reuters in an interview. "What is new, and the improvement, is the earlier recovery of those engines."
Varadi told Bloomberg earlier this month that he aims to turn Wizz Air's fortunes around by mid-2027, without mentioning the Pratt & Whitney deal.
(Reporting by Joanna Plucinska; Editing by Jan Harvey)
Wizz Air is experiencing delays in servicing its engines due to a defect in the powder metal used in Pratt & Whitney GTF engines, impacting airlines globally.
Wizz Air aims to finalize a deal with Pratt & Whitney to accelerate engine servicing, which could help restore its fleet's operational capacity and improve its share price.
Wizz Air is scheduled to report its first half-year results on November 13, and the company is working to finalize the engine servicing deal before that date.
The defect has significantly impacted Wizz Air, making its shares some of the worst performers in the European airline market over the past year due to groundings.
Jozsef Varadi aims to turn around Wizz Air's fortunes by mid-2027, indicating a long-term recovery strategy for the airline.
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