Tuesday, January 14, 2020

DGCA provides IndiGo relief, extends deadline 

‘Engines to be replaced in 4 months’

14/01/2020 , special correspondent , NEW DELHI

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has provided relief to IndiGo and extended the deadline for replacing all snag-prone Pratt and Whitney (PW) engines in the airline’s fleet by four months, though the engine maker recently identified a new problem.

In November 2019, the DGCA instructed IndiGo to replace 120 engines on its PW-powered A320neo planes by the end of January 2020, following four instances of mid-air engine shutdowns in the span of a week. However, on December 16, 2019, PW notified a new cause for glitches in the low-pressure turbine in engines — “fracture of Mid Turbine Frame (MTF) Piston seal” — and advised boroscopic inspection of the engines. Following this, another 15 engines were identified for replacement. The watchdog has now said that the airline can replace all its engines by May 31, 2020.

In a statement, the DGCA said that IndiGo will be able to replace only 70% of these engines by the January 31 deadline. “The procurement of modified engines was adversely impacted due to holidays during Christmas and New Year at MRO [maintenance, repair and overhaul] facilities,” the DGCA reasoned.

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