All Nippon Airways to return PW powered Boeing 777s to service

ALL NIPPON AIRWAYS (NH/ANA) have announced that they will be bringing a number of their stored Pratt & Whitney 4000 powered Boeing 777’s back in to service in the coming months. The aircraft were (along with a number of other operators’ PW powered examples) grounded in February 2021 following some well-publicised operational events involving the engines’ fan blades (JAPAN AIRLINES in late 2020, and UNITED AIRLINES in early 2021).

ANA B777-281ER JA742A will soon be returning to service. JAL B777-346 JA751J’s fate is not so certain.

The return to service is dependent on various modifications being done to the engines, and ANA now say these have been done thus allowing the aircraft to fly again. It’s not yet clear exactly how many will retrurn and for how long.

JAPAN AIRLINES (JL/JAL) have disposed of much of their PW fleet but there are still a number in Japan. Currently there has been no indication that these will also be reactivated.

JAL B777-246ER JA701J also has an uncertain future.

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