A while back, I reported on Hawaiian’s schedule modifications due to ongoing issues with their Airbus A321neo fleet. Unfortunately, the PW1100 issue is paralyzing Hawaiian, taking more of these critical aircraft out of service and forcing the Airline to make difficult choices.
Early production Pratt & Whitney PW1100G geared turbofans (GTFs)- those produced between 2015 and 2021 – are the gifts that keep on giving. Since entering into service, the engines have caused problem after problem, ranging from things like premature corrosion, power loss, and seal failures, among others. And that’s too bad because it is one of the most prolific modern turbines in the world, accounting for the majority of installed engines on the Airbus A320neo family of aircraft.
However, earlier this year, Pratt discovered yet another issue – a material defect caused by contaminated powder metal – resulting in premature fatigue and failure of high-pressure compressor seventh-stage integrated blades. The issue was so bad that the FAA issued an Airworthiness Directive without going through the standard draft and comment stage. Oh, and it affects multiple product lines, not just the PW1100G.
So, yeah… Pratt & Whitney has several issues to deal with. That’s not good, not for them, and not for airlines that have high concentrations of affected engines in their fleets. Unfortunately, for some airlines, the issue is becoming dire. In the case of Hawaii’s hometown airline, the PW1100 issue is paralyzing Hawaiian.
PW1100 Issue is Paralyzing Hawaiian
Hawaiian’s fleet of 18 Airbus A321neos is powered by affected Pratt & Whitney PW1100Gs. As such, they’re disproportionately impacted by the issue, especially for Honolulu to secondary markets and for most flights from Kahului to the West Coast. Hawaiian anticipated these impacts by slashing its schedule a few months ago. Unfortunately, those cuts don’t appear to be enough.
Recently, Brett Snyder, of Cranky Flier fame, found this out the hard way. Apparently, he had traveled to Maui somewhat recently from his hometown airport – Long Beach. His experience, which you can read about here, went just fine on his way to Maui. On the way home? Things went very, VERY wrong. Basically, his return flight was canceled on the day of. And then, the rest of the flights between Kahului and Long Beach that week were canceled. Ouch.
What happened? It’s hard to say. While some aircraft are out of service due to the Pratt & Whitney issue, and another was out for heavy maintenance (it was in the Philippines), but the others that were out of service at the time? Can’t say for sure. What I will say, though, is that aircraft do go mechanical on occasion, which is why airlines usually have more aircraft than they actually need. However, it seems that with the ongoing issue, Hawaiian doesn’t have the spare margin it should have, causing numerous cancellations. And it’s a big part of why the PW1100 issue is paralyzing Hawaiian.
By the way, don’t go looking at Flight Aware for all of the cancelations Hawaiian has been making. As Snyder notes in his post, Hawaiian has been making some of these changes far enough in advance that they’re simply “adjusting” their schedule.
Additional Changes
Since the PW1100 issue is paralyzing Hawaiian, it’s no surprise that additional schedule changes are becoming necessary. For the first round of schedule changes, It’s worth noting that these initial cuts impacted Honolulu, Kahului, and Lihue evenly. These new rounds of changes? They’re all focused on Kahului:
- Kahului – Long Beach: route being suspended between December 15 and March 8
- HA72 OGG-LGB departs at 11:20 am HST, arrives at 7:35 pm PT
- HA71 LGB-OGG departs at 8:50 am PT, arrives at 11:30 am HST
- Kahului – San Jose: various day reductions from 11/19 to 12/31, reduced to six-times-weekly from 1/13 to 2/14, reduced to four-times-weekly from 2/15 to 2/29, and reduced to three-time- weekly in March 2024
- HA46 OGG-SJC departs at 11:50 am HST, arrives at 7:50 PT
- HA45 SJC-OGG departs at 9:10 am PT, arrives at 11:40 HST
- Kahului – San Fransisco: various weekly reductions from 11/19 to 12/31
- HA42 OGG-SFO: departs at 11:00 am HST, arrives at 7:00 pm PT
- HA41 SFO-OGG: departs at 7:00 am PT, arrives at 9:30 am HST
- Kahului – Portland: various weekly reductions from 11/19 to 12/31
- HA40 OGG-PDX: departs at 1:50 pm HST, arrives at 10:15 pm PT
- HA41 PDX-OGG: departs at 10:25 am PT, arrives at 1:20 pm HST
- Kahului – San Diego: various weekly reductions from 11/19 to 12/31, and a drop to four-times-weekly service in Marcy 2024
- HA58 OGG-SAN: departs at 1:10 pm HST, arrives at 9:25 pm PT
- HA57 SAN-OGG: departs at 9:30 am PT, arrives at 12:30 pm HST
- Kahului – Oakland: reduced to five times weekly from 1/13 to 2/29, and suspended entirely from 3/9 to 5/23
- HA24 OGG-OAK: departs at 3:20 pm HST, arrives at 11:12 pm PT
- HA23 OAK-OGG: departs at 7:20 am PT, arrives at 9:40 am HST
Are Things Getting Worse?
During its third quarter earnings call, Airline officials stated that two to four A321neo will be sidelined at any given time thanks to the ongoing GTF troubles. However, that the PW1100 issue is paralyzing Hawaiian has the potential to get much worse. Why? During Spirit Airlines’ third quarter call, they disclosed that Pratt & Whitney had notified them that all GTFs on their neo fleet, including those slotted for aircraft for future delivery, are possibly affected by the ongoing powdered metal high-pressure turbine and compressor discs issue. Ouch.
Hawaiian states that they can handle a maximum of four A321neos being out of service while maintaining their current (curtailed) scheduled. But if what Spirit is saying is true, the issue has the potential to throw Hawaiian’s operations into further chaos. Whether Hawaiian received the same notification or not, they didn’t say. But we do know that Hawaiian is extending the leases of four A330s because of the ongoing GTF problem – and yeah, the fact that they were planning on returning A330s is a whole different topic I’ll get into later.
PW1100 Issue is Paralyzing Hawaiian, Final Thoughts
Unfortunately, the PW1100 issue is paralyzing Hawaiian and is having very real impacts on the airline’s financial health. It’s also damaging the Airline’s reputation, as it’s causing them to strand or inconvenience numerous travelers. Of course, all of this is exasperated by the fact that Japanese demand remains depressed, which means Hawaiin has had to rely more heavily on domestic travel, which is heavily reliant on the A321neo.
However, with Hawaiian’s continued struggles with its aging Boeing 717 fleet, the PW1100 issue is paralyzing Hawaiian far more. They just can’t catch a break! My recommendation? I’d avoid any Hawaiian route operated by an A321neo, at least for the next year. Otherwise, you’re playing the travel version of Russian roulette, as one slight disruption could cause you to get stranded.