DGCA asked to file a report on groundings
MUMBAI: Civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu on Friday directed civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), to submit a report on the grounding of Airbus A320neo (new engine option) over glitches in the engine.
The security of passengers is of paramount importance and at no cost should this be compromised, said the minister.
Prabhu’s direction to DGCA comes a day after reported that the country’s largest domestic carrier by marketshare,
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Indigo, had grounded as many as nine Airbus A320neo aircraft as of August 20 because of nonavailability of spare engines from American aerospace manufacturers Pratt & Whitney. The report quoted a person with direct knowledge of the matter.
Budget airline Goair, which is controlled by the Wadia Group, has also grounded three Airbus A320neo aircraft because of the same reason , a person with direct knowledge of the matter told on Friday.
Two of them are expected to be inducted back into operations in the next 10-14 days, the person said.
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A Goair spokesperson did not comment on the matter.
A Pratt & Whitney spokesperson said on Friday the company is working closely with all its A320neo operators, including Indigo and Goair, to keep their aircraft flying while continuing to retrofit the fleet with the latest engine configuration.
“Engine removals are being planned and coordinated with the airlines as we continue to successfully retrofit the fleet with the latest configuration engines. Some aircraft will be out of service temporarily as they perform these removals,” the spokesperson said.
“All new Geared Turbofan (GTF) engines now include the latest seal and combustor upgrades,” the spokesperson said.