Air Tanzania Jets Grounded.

Air Tanzania has had to reduce flight and in some cases cancel the flights due to engine issues. The problems are affecting its fleet of 4 Airbus A220-300 jets which are powered by the Prat and Whitney engines. Three of the jets are affected. Air Senegal is currently facing the same issues with its A220-300 and has also had to ground one of their jets.

A statement by Air Tanzania read; “Due to global technical challenges affecting the PW1524G-3 engine used in the Airbus A220-300 and considering safety requirements, we followed professional instructions to provide quality and safety service and sometimes we remove the aircraft from operations to meet the requirements of the manufacturers of these engines. These measures are causing delays to our flights while this challenge is being resolved. To ensure that our flights operate according to schedule, we will reduce and cancel some of our flights depending on the number of flights available. This temporary decision gives engine manufacturers time to resolve existing issues.”

Pratt & Whitney hopes to address the current challenges by introducing redesigned bleed-valve ducts for engines as well as adjustments in the control software of the FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control) system. Until this can be done, Air Tanzania could not provide a date of when their jets will be repaired and back back in the sky. “We are still far behind, in the manufacturer’s queue. Until the engines are in the repair shop, we cannot know exactly when they will be overhauled ,” said Matindi. (General Manager of Air Tanzania)