By Deepak Patel
NEW DELHI, Oct 29: Civil aviation regulator DGCA on Tuesday asked GoAir to replace 13 A320Neo aircraft’s PW engines, which have been used for over 3,000 hours, within the next 15 days or face grounding of the airplanes, an official said.
The 13 aircraft have to be fitted with at least one modified Pratt and Whitney (PW) low-pressure turbine engine within the next 15 days, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official told PTI.
The official said there are 13 aircraft in the airline’s fleet in which both the PW engines have been used for more than 3,000 hours.
In response to a query from PTI, the airline’s spokesperson said, “GoAir has not received any communication/directive from DGCA in this respect. Whenever we receive any communication, at that point in time, we will evaluate and respond accordingly. We will continue to work on all directives/policies as stipulated by the DGCA.”
The PW engine-powered A320 neo planes in the fleets of the two airlines – IndiGo and GoAir – have been facing glitches both mid-air and on-ground since their induction way back in 2016, which has also led to grounding of some planes.
On Monday, the regulator asked IndiGo to replace 16 A320Neo aircraft’s PW engines, which have been used for more than 3,000 hours.
A PW spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday, “Pratt & Whitney is working in coordination with our airline customers to incorporate upgrades improving the durability of the low-pressure turbine in the PW1100G-JM fleet to address a known issue.”
“We certified hardware improvements which are incorporated into all new production engines and during planned maintenance visits. We are committed to supporting our customers to ensure minimal disruption during the fleet retrofit,” the spokesperson added.
Since entering service in 2016, GTF (geared turbo fan) engines have achieved more than 4 million flight hours of passenger service while providing significant fuel efficiency, noise and emissions benefits, the PW spokesperson said.
The DGCA said on August 28 that about 40 percent of the domestic seat capacity in India is powered by PW engines and, therefore, any knee-jerk reaction to completely shut their operations will have serious consequences.
As on August 28, IndiGo and GoAir had 92 and 35 A320neo aircraft powered by PW engines in India. (PTI)
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