Airbus missed a 2015 target for delivering the first aircraft, an upgraded fuel-saving version of its best-selling medium-haul jet, due to what it described as issues with documentation for its new Pratt & Whitney engines.
Airbus and Pratt & Whitney confirmed they are in talks with airlines over deliveries, but declined further comment.
Industry sources have also pointed to delays in deliveries of the newly developed Geared Turbofan engine from its US manufacturer, a subsidiary of United Technologies.
An Airbus spokesperson said:
“We are in talks with our customers on deliveries and once these talks will have concluded, then we’ll finalise the aircraft and deliver to our customers as agreed.”
Airbus A320neo is designed to save 15% in fuel consumption. Airbus has delivered one aircraft to Germany’s Lufthansa so far.
A320neo launch customer was originally supposed to be Qatar Airways but it rejected the aircraft due to a longer than expected process for warming up the engines before taxiing, which needed extra fuel.
Speculation about last-minute fine-tuning resurfaced after the first aircraft was delivered to Lufthansa after an unusually extensive series of 11 pre-delivery test flights, according to data from aviation website Hamburg Finkenwerder News.
Pratt & Whitney said its engine was “meeting or exceeding” its specifications on fuel consumption, noise and emissions.
The A320neo is sold with a choice of engines from either Pratt & Whitney or CFM International, owned by France’s Safran and General Electric. CFM also powers the competing Boeing 737 family, including the revamped 737 MAX.
Airbus has said deliveries of the A320neo will be tilted towards the second half of the year.
Although the delays are minimal compared with some all-new programmes, the A320 and Boeing’s competing 737 drive a large chunk of aerospace industry profits and are closely watched.
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