Qatar Air says Pratt & Whitney engines not adequately tested

[BERLIN] The head of Qatar Airways renewed pressure on US engine maker Pratt & Whitney on Wednesday, saying engines for its Airbus A320neo aircraft had not been adequately tested.

Qatar Airways was due to be the first airline to receive the recently revamped aircraft, but has refused to take them because of engine glitches and last month threatened to switch to alternative engine supplier CFM International.

"I don't think this engine was tested adequately, especially for the temperatures in which Qatar Airways will operate," Qatar Airways Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said.

"We will only accept it when we are fully satisfied that it can operate efficiently and safely at Qatar operations (and)...once we get sufficient performance guarantees and undertakings from both Airbus and Pratt and Whitney," he told a news conference at the ITB tourism exhibition in Berlin.

REUTERS