If you’ve been reading over the past few months about airlines with significant numbers of their planes grounded by shortages and delays in engine production and other key parts, here’s how bad it’s gotten: Delta and an airplane-leasing company have formed a partnership to dismantle working A220-300s for parts.
A number of airlines have even had to revise their networks and schedule plans as engines from Rolls Royce and Pratt & Whitney are offline for repairs or late in delivery; JetBlue and Spirit, for instance, have been particularly affected. Some airlines have had almost a quarter of their fleet grounded at points.
Delta is working with Azorra, a company which leases aircraft to airlines, on the project. Azorra last year took back 12 A220-300s from Egypt Air, which was retiring them because of low availability. Azorra re-leased four of the planes to Breeze and Cyprus Airways, and is now disassembling one of the others in Arkansas, with the parts earmarked to help keep Delta’s A220 fleet going. Delta is the world’s largest operator of the A220.
