Pratt & Whitney Says First A320neo Engines Show High Reliability

Pratt & Whitney said its new geared turbofan engines have logged high reliability at its initial customer Lufthansa.

"We're 99 percent dispatch reliable at Lufthansa," Bob Leduc, president of Pratt & Whitney, said.

"An engine that's not robust, an engine that's not durable does not demonstrate 99 percent dispatch out of the box."

Lufthansa took delivery of the first Airbus A320neo, equipped with the new engines, in January after launch customer Qatar Airways raised concern about the engine's performance in hot climates.

On Wednesday, Qatar Airways said the engines were not adequately tested and that it was seeking performance guarantees from Airbus and Pratt.