Airlines urge more competition on used jet engine parts

Last month, the European Commission closed an antitrust investigation into alleged anti-competitive behaviour by Pratt & Whitney Canada, the world's main turboprop engine maker, after it agreed to lift restrictions affecting used parts.

The move means independent suppliers will find it easier to get access to dismantled turboprop engines that can then be stripped for parts to be restored and sold in competition with new ones, after meeting certification standards.

Until now, contractual clauses restricted the supply of engine sections needed to harvest used parts but Pratt & Whitney Canada has agreed to modify these, the Commission said.

"That is certainly going to help the ATR and Dash-8 (turboprop aircraft) operators," Nick Careen, IATA’s senior vice-president operations, safety and security, said.

"Now is the opportunity for this to extend into the main (jet) engine markets because that is where the gold is, where the biggest challenge is," he told Reuters in a telephone interview.