Earlier this year, the Indian aviation regulator DGCA directed all the domestic airlines to make extra checks on their A320neo aircraft equipped with Pratt & Whitney engines to match the new safety protocols. In another directive released by DGCA, the aviation watchdog has asked the domestic carriers IndiGo and GoAir to modify a number of their Airbus A320neo aircraft equipped with Pratt & Whitney engines, which are prone to in-flight shutdowns, under 15 days to avoid their grounding.
DGCA Issues directive To GoAir and IndiGo
In a statement released on Monday, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) noted that IndiGo planes equipped with 1100 series Pratt & Whitney engines which have clocked more than 2900 Hours must be fitted with one modified engine. The DGCA released a similar statement to GoAir on Tuesday.
The aviation regulator also marked that 29 A320neo planes are being affected, out of which 16 are operated by IndiGo and 13 by GoAir. GoAir and IndiGo have more than 100 A320neo aircraft in their fleet.
Pratt & Whitney Engines Face Frequent Shutdowns
For India’s low-cost airline IndiGo, the restrictions were regulated after they announced their massive quarterly loss resulted by higher maintenance costs from leasing A320ceo planes to fill the gap caused by the grounding of A320neo due to engine issues. In the context, the airlines noted: “it will cooperate with authorities and will comply with the next course of action.” As for GoAir, they said that they had not received any such directive from DGCA.
In an official statement released by Pratt & Whitney engines, they noted that they are working closely with the airlines to review the issues without any hassle.
The United Technologies Pratt & Whitney engines entered into the market in 2016 as they were fuel-efficient, Airbus became their biggest client for the A320neo planes. However, the airlines faced issues from the beginning forcing them to ground their aircraft several times. The DGCA said that they found three in-flight shutdowns on IndiGo’s planes in October which were sent for maintenance and safety data