ANA Announces Inspection of
Pratt & Whitney's PW1100G-JM Engines

  • • As a result of instructions from the engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney (P&W), ANA will begin a series of inspections of the PW1100G-JM engines installed on the A320neo and A321neo aircraft from January 2024.
  • • Inspection work will be performed based on the Service Bulletin from P&W (to be issued in November 2023), with the engines removed by the deadline specified by the manufacturer. The engines will be disassembled at the MRO (maintenance, repair and operations) facility approved by the manufacturer, and non-destructive testing and replacement of the subject parts will be performed.
  • • The inspection and replacement procedures are set well in advance to ensure safety, and therefore there is no impact on the safety of our operations until the specified deadline. By inspecting and replacing parts of the subject engines, we will eliminate operational risks and there will be no impact on safety.
  • • A total of 33 aircraft (A320neo:11 and A321neo:22) equipped with the specified engines are subject to the inspections.
  • • To conduct the necessary inspections, some domestic and international flights will be temporarily reduced. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause to our customers.

TOKYO, Oct. 31, 2023 - All Nippon Airways (ANA) will begin a series of inspections of engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney's (hereinafter "P&W") PW1100G-JM engines installed on the A320neo and A321neo aircraft from January 2024.

Background:
The inspections come as P&W indicated that there may have been issues during the powdered metal manufacturing of internal engine parts which were manufactured between October 2015 and September 2021. As a result, ANA received notice that the engines which may contain the specific parts must be inspected or replaced within a specified period of time.

Aircraft and parts to be inspected:
A total of 33 aircraft, comprised of 11 A320neo and 22 A321neo, are subject to the inspection. The inspections will begin from January 2024 starting with aircraft nearing their scheduled expiration dates. The parts to be inspected and replaced are the high-pressure compressor disks and the high-pressure turbine disks (refer to below image).

  • *Disk: A rotating plate attached to the shaft of an engine that holds the blades (wing-like parts) in place.

Inspection process and special measures:
For the engines equipped with the parts under review, the inspection will be conducted based on the Service Bulletin prepared by P&W (to be issued in November 2023).

  • • ANA: Remove the subject engine from the aircraft.
  • • MRO facility: Disassemble the engine.
  • • MRO facility: Inspect subject parts through an Ultrasonic Inspection to check for any defects. If a defect is found, the part is replaced.
  • • MRO facility: Replace the subject parts with new parts.
  • • MRO facility: Reassemble the engine.
  • • ANA: Install the engine onto the aircraft.

According to P&W, the above process is expected to take 250 to 300 days per engine.

  • *MRO facility: Engine maintenance facilities arranged by P&W including IHI Corporation, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Aero Engine Co.

These additional inspections and parts replacements including Ultrasonic Inspection are reinforced measures to control possible malfunctions based on the results of P&W's latest analysis, and the inspection and replacement procedures are set well in advance to ensure safety. Therefore, there is no impact on the safety of operations until the specified deadline. In addition, the subject engines will be removed before the replacement deadline specified by the manufacturer, and the respective aircraft will be reinstalled with the updated engines. Through this process, we will eliminate operational risks and there will be no impact on safety.

Due to this inspection, select flights on domestic and international routes will be reduced, and will be announced in a separate press release titled "ANA Announces Updates to the Flight Schedule due to Inspection of P&W 1100G-JM Engines" and available on the ANA website. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause to our customers. The safety of our passengers and crews is our top priority, and we will continue to monitor the situation and take appropriate measures as necessary.

For reference: “ANA Announces Updates to the Flight Schedule due to Inspection of P&W 1100G-JM Engines”:
https://www.anahd.co.jp/group/en/pr/202310/20231031-3.html

  • Contact:
    ANA Corporate Communications, TEL +81-3-6735-1111, publicrelations@ana.co.jp

About ANA
Founded in 1952 with just two helicopters, All Nippon Airways (ANA) has grown to become the largest airline in Japan. ANA HOLDINGS Inc. (ANA HD), established in 2013, is the largest airline group holding company in Japan including ANA and Peach Aviation, the leading LCC in Japan.

ANA is a launch customer and the largest operator of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, making ANA HD the biggest Dreamliner owner in the world. A member of Star Alliance since 1999, ANA has joint venture agreements with United Airlines, Lufthansa German Airlines, Swiss International Airlines and Austrian Airlines - giving it a truly global presence.

The airline's legacy of superior service has been recognized with SKYTRAX's 5-Star rating every year since 2013, with ANA being the only Japanese airline to win this prestigious designation for 10 consecutive years. ANA has been recognized by Air Transport World as "Airline of the Year" three times (2007, 2013 and 2018); it is one of only a select few airlines to win this prominent award multiple times.

In 2022, ANA received first place in the Global airline and Asia Pacific categories at the CIRIUM On-Time Performance Awards, marking the second consecutive year ANA was recognized as the most on-time airline in the world. ANA is the only company in the aviation industry to receive the Gold Class distinction from the 2022 S&P Global Sustainability Awards and ANA HD has been selected as a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index list for the sixth consecutive year and the Dow Jones Sustainability Asia Pacific Index list for the seventh consecutive year.

For more information, please refer to the following link:
https://www.ana.co.jp/group/en/