Thursday, April 04, 2019

Is DGCA going easy on Airbus A 320 Neo despite repeated engine failures? Experts think so

On April 2, 2019, budget carrier IndiGo reported a mid-air engine failure on one of its flights. This was the sixth such incident  in a span of two weeks involving its Airbus A 320 Neo fleet.

This was the 13th incident since January this year where this class of aircraft, mainly used flown by Indigo Airlines and Go Air, have reported problems including mid-air engine failures and mid-air turn backs.

The aircraft, powered by Pratt and Whitney (PW-1100) engine, have faced operational and technical glitches since 2017, prompting questions on why the regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is not more stringent on such glitches that involves passenger safety.

Sector experts that Moneycontrol spoke to believe it’s time the watchdog ups its ante and “gain some technical expertise” before giving clearance to faulty engines.
“Regulators are at the crux of the problem. They blame airlines and pilots and others that they didn’t provide sufficient data or didn’t do safety check but are they, themselves, competent enough to determine what is wrong with the aircraft or may be what could go wrong,” Mark Martin, chief executive officer, Martin consultancy, told Moneycontrol.

At crux of the problem is PW-1100 engine by P&W which are used in A 320 Neo aircraft by France-based plane making giant Airbus. The fleet first reported engine failure in 2017 and has since faced several issues.

“The problem is that Indian DGCA doesn’t have the technical competence to evaluate the engine of the aircraft. The previous manpower kept on retiring and they have not been able to replace those people who can evaluate it,” Harsh Vardhan, an aviation expert told Moneycontrol.

“DGCA usually keeps non-technical people who are never able to understand the intricacies of it,” he said.
04/04/19 Nikita Vashisht/Moneycontrol.com

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

0 comments:

Post a Comment