By Robert Wall
TOULOUSE, FRANCE--Airbus Group NV has encountered delays in
flight trials of its new A320neo single-aisle jet because of
"maturity" issues on one of the engines, although the program
remains on track for its first plane delivery this year.
Flight testing of the A320neo, for new engine option, powered by
PW1100G engines from Pratt & Whitney, an arm of United
Technologies Corp., is currently on hold, Didier Evrard, the head
of programs for Airbus's commercial jetliner unit, said Thursday.
The delay should only be a matter of days.
The problem relates to clips that hold a seal in the area of the
high-pressure compressor of the engine, he said. Some batches of
the component appear not to have had proper temperature
treatment.
Even so, Mr. Evrard said the target to deliver the first A320neo
before the end of the year seems "reasonable." The engine
performance is otherwise performing as expected, he said.
The A320neo, the replacement to the A320 single-aisle jet now in
service, is the backbone of the plane maker's future
production.
The plane maker has a strong incentive to get the plane out on
time as the first customer is Qatar Airways whose chief executive
officer, Akbar Al Baker, is known to be demanding. It's a "good
incentive," Mr. Evrard said.
Airbus also offers the A320neo with engines made by CFM
International, a joint venture of General Electric Co. and Safran
SA. That model is due several months later. Airbus this month began
flight testing an A320neo with the engine, called the Leap-1A.
Mr. Evrard said he was comfortable that the Leap-1A engine would
meet fuel-consumption targets amid reports that early versions of
the turbine are not as efficient as intended. "The Leap will get
there," Mr. Evrard said.
Write to Robert Wall at robert.wall@wsj.com