IndiGo and GoAir ground some flights

new delhi — A day after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) directed the grounding of 11 A320neo aircraft, budget carrier Indigo cancelled 47 flights on various routes, according to data available on the airline’s website, while GoAir had to cancel some flights originating out of eight centres.

Indigo said passengers were given the option to either choose another flight at no additional cost or cancel their booking and get a full refund. GoAir too said the same thing.

In an statement on Tuesday, the airline said: “IndiGo has cancelled certain flights due to the grounding of our aircraft further to the DGCA directions which has been issued in the interest of safety. While we understand that this may cause inconvenience to some of our passengers, given that we have multiple flights to the same destination, we are proactively re-accommodating all our affected passengers on other flights.”

“GoAir has complied with the DGCA directive by grounding the late serial number PW GTF engines. This has resulted in the cancellation of some flights originating out of eight centres. Flight schedules are being altered to accommodate those affected. Alternate arrangements are made or offered to minimise impact and inconvenience. In cases where appropriate, free cancellation and re-booking options have been made available,” a GoAir spokesperson said.

GoAir, however, clarified that none of its flights between Delhi and Mumbai got cancelled. “GoAir has cancelled some flights from eight cities that include, Bengaluru, Cochin, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bhubhaneshwar, Kolkata, Lucknow and Delhi,” the spokesperson added.

Citing safety concerns, the aviation industry regulator asked IndiGo and GoAir to ground a total of 11 A320neo aircraft fitted with Pratt & Whitney 1100 engines.

Out of the 11, eight are operated by IndiGo while GoAir operates three, the DGCA said in a statement. With this, all the A320neo aircraft with PW1100 engines beyond serial number 450 have been taken off operation in India. —

IndiGo Airbus operated eight of the 11 A320 aircraft fitted with Pratt & Whitney 1100 engines that were grounded. The three other planes grounded belonged to GoAir. — AFP file