BackIndiGo to send 13 engines to Pratt & Whitney for inspection
Two engines from the operational fleet and 11 engines from the grounded fleet of the airline will be sent to Pratt & Whitney for inspection
PremiumNew Delhi: India's largest airline IndiGo will send 13 engines to US-based engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney for inspection as part of the latest issue regarding material anomalies.
Two engines from the operational fleet and 11 engines from the grounded fleet of the airline will be sent to the manufacturer for inspection.
"This implies that there would be little or no impact on the capacity of Indian carriers during the ensuing high season," a senior official said.
Based on the latest assessment, Pratt & Whitney has identified 200 PW1100G engines that will be removed for performing Angle Ultrasonic Scan Inspection (AUSI) during the shop visit and accordingly are required to be removed before 15 September.
Beyond the initial 200 engines, the US-based engine maker has stated previously that around 1,000 additional PW1100 engines will need to be removed from the operating fleet of airlines for this inspection within the next 9 to 12 months, thus impacting 600 aircraft globally.
In India, IndiGo and Go First deploy PW1100-run A320neo family aircraft. The latest issue revolves around the metal used in manufacturing the parts of a PW-1100G engine. In 2019, the Indian civil aviation regulator ordered IndiGo and Go First to modify some A320neo aircraft fitted with P&W engines due to issues related to in-flight shutdowns.
Out of IndiGo’s fleet of 312 aircraft, approximately 45 are currently grounded due to maintenance work, and shortage of spare engines and parts. IndiGo signed a definitive pact in 2012 with P&W for PurePower PW1100G-JM engines for 150 A320neo family aircraft. The airline had then switched to another US engine maker CFM for LEAP-1A engine for a total of 590 IndiGo A320neo family aircraft.
The engine inspection has become important as Pratt & Whitney determined that a rare condition in the powdered metal used to manufacture certain engine parts may reduce the life of those parts. As a result, Pratt has instituted enhanced inspections to be performed at scheduled shop visits.
“This is obviously a difficult situation for our customers, especially given the strong demand for travel. We’re truly sorry for the impact of this and we will do all we can to support our customers," Christopher Calio, president and chief operating officer of P&W’s parent company, Raytheon Technologies Corp had said in July.
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