DUBLIN (Reuters) - Issues with Pratt & Whitney RTX engines that have grounded some Wizz Air planes could last four or five years, the low cost carrier's chief executive said on Monday.

"I think they are trying their best, but this is going to be a long process. At the beginning, we felt maybe 18 months, maybe two years. This is clear it's more like a four- to five-year issue," Jozsef Varad told the Airline Economics conference in Dublin.

Wizz Air said last month that it expects 40 of its planes to stay grounded through fiscal year 2026. The head of fellow Eastern European carrier AirBaltic said the Pratt & Whitney issues were hampering its growth prospects.