Owing to the very strict guidelines set by the Indian aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Indian carriers, GoAir and IndiGo will be the first two to have replaced their entire fleet of aircrafts with new P&W Engines. It is worth noting that the aviation regulator has asked the two carriers to change the engines which are faulty and causing mid-air shutdowns from P&W. The same issue has been found in other airlines as well across the globe who are using P&W engines. On the same lines, European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have also mandated their airlines to do the same. But, the Indian airlines will be at the top of the chain to have finished this task before the other airlines.
Indian Regulators Ahead of Foreign Counterparts
As per an IANS report, a senior DGCA official said, “India will become the first country in the world, where airlines’ operating A320neo aircraft will get both PW engines replaced. This will be achieved even before the deadlines set by either EASA or FAA.” The European regulator has set the deadline for engine replacement in March 2020, whereas the US counterpart has set a deadline of November 2020 for the same.
GoAir and IndiGo Both Changing Engines in A320neos
Both IndiGo and GoAir have faced mid-air shutdowns this year because of the Low-Pressure Turbine’ (LPT) engines on their planes. These engines have been asked to be changed by the DGCA. IndiGo, which is the biggest carrier in India and boasts of close to 50% market share has over 100 A320s in its fleet. GoAir also has a fleet which mostly consists of Airbus A320s.
