KLM Cityhopper has sent two of its Embraer E195-E2s to Enschede Airport Twente on the Dutch-German border for indefinite storage.
The withdrawal of the two jets from service is necessary for their Pratt & Whitney GTF engines to undergo corrective maintenance after a cracking problem appeared in blades due to the use of metal powder outside specifications.
The problem affects other types of aircraft such as the Airbus A220 and A320neo family, but the engine manufacturer has not been able to carry out the correction without many jets being grounded as there are not enough spare engines.
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The two E195-E2s sent by KLM Cityhopper on Tuesday are among the first received. The PH-NXA, in fact, was the first delivered, on February 24, 2021. The PH-NXD was received on May 14 of the same year.
Enschede Airport Twente is located approximately 145 km from Schipol, in Amsterdam, where KLM is headquartered. However, it is an airport with cheaper fees for parking aircraft during the inactivity period.
“While the modified maintenance program is running, several aircraft will be unavailable. These are therefore parked at Twente Airport while the engines are overhauled. Together with Pratt & Whitney and Embraer, we are working hard to expedite the maintenance of the engines and reduce parking,” the airline told Luchtvaart Nieuws.
This is not the first time that the regional carrier has had to ground part of its E195-E2 fleet. In January 2023, more than half of the fleet was unable to fly and the situation only returned to normal in August.
KLM Cityhopper operates 18 E2 jets and has another four planned for delivery through leasing. The regional subsidiary’s fleet also includes 29 E190s, 17 E175s and one E170, all from Embraer.