Dec 31 (Reuters) - Wizz Air ( WZZAF ) on Tuesday said it

had signed a new support agreement with defence and aerospace

firm RTX's Pratt & Whitney amid engine woes, adding that

it expects 40 of its planes to stay grounded through fiscal year

2026.

The low-cost Hungarian airline said Pratt & Whitney will

provide commercial support, including operational assistance and

a compensation package for direct costs related to grounded

aircraft, through the end of 2026.

Budapest-headquartered Wizz Air ( WZZAF ), which flies an all-Airbus

fleet, has had to navigate additional challenges after Pratt &

Whitney in 2023 said more than 1,000 engines needed to be

removed from Airbus planes and checked for microscopic

cracks.

In September 2023, Wizz Air ( WZZAF ) had estimated a potential 10%

capacity reduction in the second half of fiscal 2024, due to the

inspection of Pratt & Whitney's turbofans.

In November this year, it posted a bigger-than-expected drop

in first-half profit, citing ongoing issues with engine

inspections that grounded its Airbus planes and the impact of

conflict in the Middle East.

Wizz Air ( WZZAF ) also said it expects to return to growth by taking

50 new Airbus A321NEO deliveries and growing seat capacity by

about 20% during 2026.