Big setback for IndiGo, sixth A320 neo aircraft grounded

Earlier on July 25, the airline grounded five A320 neo aircraft due to Pratt & Whitney engine issues, stating that they were expected to be back in operations in the second half of August. An IndiGo spokesperson had said that five A320 neos have been taken out of service pro-actively and they await spare engines from Pratt & Whitney.

In a big setback for budget carrier IndiGo, the airliner was forced to ground yet another A320 neo aircraft at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, making it the sixth aircraft to be stopped from operating since July, said the airline. It however, maintained that the aircraft was grounded as it was undergoing a routine engine change.

"An IndiGo neo has been grounded and is undergoing a routine engine change. There is no impact on our flight operations," the airline said in a statement, but did not elaborate further. Sources, however, told PTI that the plane was relatively new and was grounded yesterday.

Earlier on July 25, the airline grounded five A320 neo aircraft due to Pratt & Whitney engine issues, stating that they were expected to be back in operations in the second half of August. An IndiGo spokesperson had said that five A320 neos have been taken out of service pro-actively and they await spare engines from Pratt & Whitney.

During the day, Pratt & Whitney also issued a statement saying "it is working closely with operators to address aircraft taken out of service as per established engine inspection plans".

Further, Pratt & Whitney statement said, "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. Spare engines are now becoming available, with the objective to support aircraft availability in August and onward. We will continue to work with each airline while we incorporate enhancements to their fleet."

Notably, P&W engine woes had forced the airline to ground some of the A320 neo aircraft earlier also. At present, IndiGo has a fleet of more than 170 aircraft, including 40 A320 neo planes.

During the months of February and March this year, as many as 14 planes, including 11 of IndiGo and three of GoAir, were reportedly taken out of operations due to P&W engine issues on the directions of the aviation regulator after a series of mid-air shut downs were reported by the two carriers.

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The grounding of the IndiGo flights during this period had reportedly hit 1.08 lakh passengers. While in 2017 June quarter, IndiGo grounded nine A320 neo planes due to engine issues, the PTI report said, adding that the grounding also resulted in the airline cancelling 84 flights on a particular day last year.

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