Swiss International Air Lines has grounded its fleet of 29 Airbus A220 jets to make engine checks after one encountered technical problems on a flight from London to Geneva on Tuesday. The plane was redirected to Paris.
“Only after a faultless inspection will the aircraft return to regular flight operations,” Swiss said. This would lead to a noticeable reduction in Swiss flight operations, as numerous flights would have to be cancelled, it added.
“Swiss takes these incidents very seriously and is in close contact with the responsible authorities, Airbus Canada and the engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney,” it continued.
“The safety of our customers and crews is our top priority. We will do everything in our power to return our [A220] fleet to normal flight operations as quickly as possible and to continue to ensure safe flight operations.”
Pratt & Whitney said on Tuesday it had recommended additional checks on engines powering Airbus A220 and some Embraer E2 passenger jets after recent engine incidents.
“Pratt & Whitney and our airframe OEMs (manufacturers), working in coordination with the regulatory authorities, have recommended additional inspections of the low-pressure compressor for PW1500G and PW1900G engines to keep the fleet operational,” a spokesman said.
“The engines continue to meet all criteria for continued airworthiness.”
Affected passengers
Eight technical problems with A220s were reported within one year, according to RTS.
The 29 aircraft come from the Canadian company Bombardier, which has sold its medium-range jets to Airbus, which is why the C series of planes is also called A220.
Swiss said it was contacting affected passengers, who would be rebooked on the best possible alternative at the airline’s expense. In addition, passengers’ tickets for a cancelled flight could be rebooked or refunded free of charge.
A spokesman could not say how many passengers were affected. The company was still working this out.
Macron will attend Swiss summit on Ukraine, says Zelensky
This content was published on
French President Emmanuel Macron will attend the peace conference on Ukraine at the Swiss Bürgenstock resort next month, according to Volodymyr Zelensky.
Top politician tells ‘corrupt’ Eurovision to stay away from Bern
This content was published on
A social media post by the president of Bern’s cantonal government critical of the Eurovision Song Contest has created waves and will be discussed in the cantonal parliament.
Swiss centre records over 200 victims of human trafficking
This content was published on
Last year 317 people took part in a protection programme run by the Specialist Unit for Trafficking in Women and Women’s Migration (FIZ) in German-speaking Switzerland.
This content was published on
The Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and partners are opening a field hospital in southern Gaza on Tuesday.
Lack of smartphone sustainability in Switzerland hits environment
This content was published on
Almost half of all Swiss citizens hang on to their old smartphones, tablets and laptops, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
Police clear out pro-Palestinian students protesting in Geneva
This content was published on
The police intervened early on Tuesday to dislodge pro-Palestinian students who had been occupying the University of Geneva for almost a week.
New gel developed in Zurich renders alcohol harmless
This content was published on
A newly developed gel composed of whey proteins breaks down alcohol in the body and could reduce its harmful and intoxicating effects in humans.
Pro-Palestine protests extend to Basel and Fribourg universities
This content was published on
Demonstrators called for an academic boycott of all Israeli institutions and disassociation with Chaim Weizmann, the first Israeli president.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
French authorities ask public to find parts of Swiss plane engine
This content was published on
France’s aviation safety body has called on the public to assist in the recovery of engine parts of a Swiss International Airlines plane.
The Swissair flight 111 crash: causes and consequences
This content was published on
swissinfo.ch looks back at the worst accident in Swiss civil aviation history and the consequences for airline safety and Swissair.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.