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Airbus Limits Cold-Weather Takeoffs for Certain Aircraft

Restrictions apply to jets with Pratt & Whitney engines.

Airbus A220
Airbus A220 seen in 2018 [Credit: Steve Lynes/Wikimedia Commons]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Airbus is restricting some aircraft equipped with Pratt & Whitney engines from taking off in extreme cold weather conditions, including severe icing, freezing fog, and low visibility.
  • These new limitations primarily affect A320neo-family and A220-family aircraft.
  • While Airbus is communicating with airline customers about the policy change, the specific problem prompting these cold-weather restrictions has not been publicly disclosed, though Pratt & Whitney is reportedly working on a fix.
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Airbus is reportedly restricting some aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney engines from operating in extreme cold.

According to Reuters, the European aerospace manufacturer has changed its procedures and now limits takeoffs using Pratt-made engines in severe icing conditions, freezing fog, and visibility of less than 150 meters, or about 490 feet.

Zach Vasile

Zach Vasile is a writer and editor covering news in all aspects of aviation. He has reported for and contributed to the Manchester Journal Inquirer, the Hartford Business Journal, the Charlotte Observer, and the Washington Examiner, with his area of focus being the intersection of business and government policy.

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