Over 50 planes of IndiGo, Go First on ground due to engine troubles - Details
Amid engine woes leading to grounding of these planes, airlines had to explore wet leasing of aircraft and other options to minimise disruptions, news agency PTI reported citing officials.
Over 50 aircraft belonging to IndiGo and Go First are on the ground facing Pratt & Whitney engine related issues amid persisting supply chain headwinds, according to a report.
Amid engine woes leading to grounding of these planes, airlines had to explore wet leasing of aircraft and other options to minimise disruptions, news agency PTI reported citing officials.
IndiGo, the country's largest airline, is exploring various avenues, including slowing down redeliveries through lease extensions, re-induction of planes into the fleet, and wet lease options within the regulatory guidelines.
The global supply chain issues continue for some time in the wake of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Airlines have been facing issues with the Pratt & Whitney (P&W) engines for quite sometime. Senior civil aviation ministry officials also had discussions with the engine maker on ways to improve the supply situation.
There are at least 25 aircraft each of IndiGo and Go First that are on the ground due to P&W engine problems and the engine maker is not able to ensure timely deliveries on account of supply chain disruptions, PTI reported citing a senior government official.
According to flight tracking website flightradar24.com, as many as 39 aircraft of IndiGo, comprising 28 A320 neo and 11 A321 were on ground as on February 26.
On being asked about the grounding of at least 50 planes of the two carriers and steps taken to address the issues, a P&W spokesperson said it expects the "pressures to begin to ease later this year" but did not mention how many aircraft have been impacted due to the problem.
"Like many in the industry, we are experiencing global supply chain challenges, which are limiting the availability of structural castings and other parts and we are working mitigation strategies with our supply base and expanding MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) network capacity... At the same time, we're continuing upgrades to extend engine time on wing," the spokesperson said.
IndiGo has more than 300 planes in its fleet and has two engine suppliers: P&W and CFM. While Go First has around 61 aircraft and P&W is its lone engine supplier.
