Thursday, August 10, 2023

Pratt & Whitney engines: DGCA assures minimal impact on IndiGo fleet from P&W engine material anomalies

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) recently announced that certain Pratt & Whitney (P&W) engines with material anomalies will only minimally affect the IndiGo airline fleet. Out of the 15 engines powering IndiGo planes that will be impacted, 13 are currently non-operational, lessening the immediate impact. IndiGo is the prominent customer for A320 planes, which use P&W engines, and Go First’s A320 neo fleet is also equipped with these engines.

P&W, based in the US, recently revealed that an unusual condition in the powdered metal used for certain engine parts could potentially decrease their lifespan. This issue extends to approximately 1,002 PW1100G engines globally. As a result, P&W has issued Service Instructions (SI) outlining the serial numbers of affected engine series that must be removed for Angle Ultrasonic Scan Inspection (AUSI) during scheduled maintenance before September 15.

A senior official from DGCA explained that the impact on IndiGo’s fleet would be minimal. Specifically, out of the 13 affected engines (11 of which are non-operational), only two currently operational engines need to be removed. This limited removal ensures that the capacity of Indian carriers won’t be significantly affected during the upcoming peak season.

IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers mentioned during a recent earnings call that a small number of P&W engines would be impacted initially. The CEO acknowledged the communication from P&W regarding potential manufacturing anomalies and the necessity for additional inspections. He stressed the ongoing coordination with P&W to determine the precise extent and timing of the inspection process.

10/08/2023 Financial Express

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