COVID-19 Impact: DGCA extends deadline for IndiGo, GoAir to replace unmodified PW engines to 31 August

New Delhi: Indian aviation regulator, DGCA, on Monday extended the deadline for IndiGo and GoAir to replace all the 60 unmodified Pratt and Whitney (PW) engines on their A320neo planes from 31 May to 31 August, as supply chain has been impacted due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown. Moreover, the regulator has instructed both the airlines to only use those planes that have modified PW engines on them. The PW engine-powered A320 neo planes in IndiGo and GoAir fleets have been facing glitches both mid-air and on-ground since their induction way back in 2016. On 13 January, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had said the unmodified PW engines do contain an “unsafe condition, which is prone to undesirable outcomes” and therefore, need to be dispensed with.

Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) grants 3 more months to @IndiGo6E and @goairlinesindia to replace old engines with new series engines on their airbus 320 Neo (P&W) aircraft. The deadline to replace these engines expired yesterday. Total 60 engines are to be replaced. pic.twitter.com/9NKoTBGlLU

— CNBC-TV18 (@CNBCTV18Live) June 1, 2020

On Monday, the regulator said, “We took a call a couple of days back and instructed both the airlines. Both taken together about 60 engines are yet to be replaced and the obvious reason was the COVID-19 impact and resultant lockdowns.” Supply chains and production lines got impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in turn, disturbed the process, it added. Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak “Keeping all this in view, we have extended the deadline by three months; up to 31st of August 2020. Also, we instructed that for current times, aircraft with both engines modified should be flown and this should not be difficult as the curtailed operations are likely to last for some more time,” the regulator said. Four Air Turn Back (ATB)/Inflight Shut Down (IFSD) events were witnessed on Airbus A320Neo aircraft operated by Indigo in a week during October 2019 due to the failure of third stage LPT (low pressure turbine) blades of PW engines. Click here to follow LIVE news and updates on stock markets On 13 January, the regulator had extended the deadline of replacing all unmodified PW engines on A320neo planes to 31 May from 31 January. India resumed its domestic passenger flights from 25 May after a gap of two months due to the coronavirus-triggered lockdown. However, international passenger flights continue to remain suspended in the country. The novel coronavirus has infected more than 1.9 lakh people and killed around 5,300 people in India till now.