The airline which has been facing several issues with its latest order of 430 Airbuses has further been affected by technical glitches in more of its operational Airbus A320 Neo’s. The glitches in some cases have been found to be serious in nature and are even said to have resulted in engine failure.
As per latest media reports, budget carrier IndiGo airlines, which is run by InterGlobe Aviation had to recently cancel over eighty flights due to the airline having to ground its Airbus A320 Neo’s (new engine option) because of engine issues. India’s biggest airline, which carries around one in every ten Indian passengers, has grounded eight planes in a planned move and has claimed that “the affected passengers have already been accommodated with suitable options.” “This is to clarify that our eight Airbus A320 neo planes are grounded. Our schedule has already planned the non-availability of these aircraft for the month of July, August and September. The affected passengers have already been accommodated with suitable options,” an IndiGo spokesperson is quoted as having told the media.
The airline has been facing delays in receiving planes from Airbus as there have been several complications, including engine failure, with the engines developed for the planes by Pratt and Whitney which is owned by United Technologies and has also supplied engines for the F-35 fighter, Boeing’s C-17 Globemaster III and F-16 to the US military. As per reports in the media, a total of 667 flights were cancelled by IndiGo between June 21 and July 3 this year, with sixty one flights cancelled on June 27 alone, due to the grounding of these planes. The airline is said to be experiencing operational issues with the A320 neo engines due to “premature degradation of the combustor chamber lining and the premature wear of the No. 3 bearing seal” and has claimed that it will be receiving compensation from Pratt & Whitney due to the grounding of its planes. “We continue to have a higher number of engine removals, and sufficient spare engines have not been available,” IndiGo President Aditya Ghosh had said when the problem first emerged. “The operational disruptions are quite challenging, and we are not happy with that situation,” he had said. The airline has now asked Pratt and Whitney to increase the availability of spare engines. In a meeting with the DGCA officials, Pratt & Whitney officials assured the officials that “shop level delivery of engines undergoing modification is being increased to cut down the time for supply of these engines.” This move is expected to ensure that there will be no further grounding of aircrafts by September this year.
