Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

Hawaiian Airlines will receive its first Airbus A321neos at least three months later than originally planned, in the fourth quarter of next year, as the airplane’s European manufacturer continues to cope with delays associated with the Pratt &amp; Whitney PW1100G engines that will power Hawaiian’s choice of the narrowbodies. The airline reported the new delivery schedule in a recent Securities and Exchange Commission filing in which it revised a December 5 investor update to reflect higher-than-expected growth in operating revenue per available seat mile.

 


Hawaiian holds a purchase order for 16 A321neos and recently announced plans to lease two more. Plans called for delivery of all the airplanes by 2020, as Hawaiian replaces Boeing 767s with the new Airbus jets on services to the mainland. Hawaiian plans to retire its fleet of eight 767s by the end of 2018.

 


Airbus, meanwhile, has yet to announce the first operator for the Pratt-powered A321neo, which earned <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2016-12-15/pratt-powered-a321neo-certified-easa-faa">joint FAA-EASA certification</a> on December 15.

 


The first variant of the A321neo to have received EASA and FAA type certification, the <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2016-03-09/first-pratt-powered-a321neo-takes-flight">Pratt-powered version made its first flight</a> later than did the CFM Leap-1A-powered model, which <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2016-02-09/airbus-a321neo-flies-first-time">flew for the first time</a> on February 9. Originally planning to fly the PW1100G-powered version first, Airbus switched the flight-test sequence as Pratt worked on a machining problem and software adjustments to address operating restrictions—namely extended start-time intervals—on the smaller A320neo. The first Airbus A321neo powered by Pratt &amp; Whitney engines completed its maiden flight exactly a month later. Despite the switch in first flight sequence, Airbus still plans to deliver the Pratt-powered A321neo around the new year, just ahead of Leap-powered version in the first quarter. &nbsp;

 


During a conference call to discuss Airbus’s third-quarter results, CFO Harald Wilhelm alerted investors to continuing supply chain difficulties associated with both the A350 and A320neo family. By the end of the third quarter, more than 20 A320neos awaited installation of their PW1100Gs. Although Pratt &amp; Whitney had found a solution to the “rotor bow” problems that led to longer than acceptable restart times, PW1100G deliveries remained behind schedule, leaving Airbus with a disproportionate delivery undertaking for the fourth quarter and the prospect of further backloading next year.

 


“I can not exclude again some backloading for 2017,” said Wilhelm. “Certainly our intention would be make it less loaded than it is this year… But I think it is a bit early to talk about the phasing in 2017 as we are in discussions to register [a] firm commitment [from Pratt &amp; Whitney].” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

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