JAL Phases out 777's With P&W Engines

From AVWEB:

"JAL has decided to accelerate the retirement of all P&W-equipped Boeing 777s by March 2021, which [was] originally planned by March 2022," read a statement by the airline released on its website Monday. JAL promptly grounded its 13 PW4000-series-powered 777s after United Airlines Flight 328 experienced a dramatic engine failure four minutes into a trip from Denver to Honolulu. The intake ring was found in a suburban Denver neighborhood and several other pieces of cowling debris landed in residential areas, though no one was injured. The crew returned to Denver International Airport and landed safely with no injuries to the 231 passengers and 10 crew members."

"In December 2020, a JAL 777-200 also shed one of the hollow fan blades from its PW4000. Another 2018 fan-blade failure in the U.S. involving the PW4000 series led the FAA to mandate initial and recurring blade inspections. JAL still operates 20 later-model 777s with GE90-series engines, but the bulk of the airline's fleet is made up of Airbus A350s."

Rough times for Boeing.

Thumpalumpacus said:

Rough times for Boeing.

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Not really. Them phasing it out really has no effect. They already paid for them.

DerAdlerIstGelandet said:

Not really. Them phasing it out really has no effect. They already paid for them.

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In terms of PR, following on the Max8 thing, I think it's rough times. One plane dives uncontrollably into the ground on occasion, another has an engine fly apart every so often. I think it's really something the company doesn't need and won't benefit from.

The 777 is old enough that phase-out was probably going to begin First-World pretty soon anyway, but a major airline citing a near-disaster as a reason for doing so is at best unhelpful, and at worst clapping another anecdote onto Boeing's reputation.

I really don't think so. Airbus has had its fair share of engines come apart in flight, and now the 777 for Boeing. Neither company is going down for it. The 777 has decades of safe in flight service.

Same with the Max. The problem has been fixed, and in the end it will be seen as a quality plane. We are starting to see lots of orders for the Max.

DerAdlerIstGelandet said:

I really don't think so. Airbus has had its fair share of engines come apart in flight, and now the 777 for Boeing. Neither company is going down for it. The 777 has decades of safe in flight service.

Same with the Max. The problem has been fixed, and in the end it will be seen as a quality plane. We are starting to see lots of orders for the Max.

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Oh, I don't think Boeing is going down. I do think it will hurt market perception, though. Airbus hasn't been in the news lately, and Boeing has, for the wrong reasons.