Regulator extends deadline for IndiGo engine replacements
India’s regulator the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has extended the original deadline for budget carrier IndiGo to replace all of its 135 Pratt and Whitney engines.
The DGCA extended it from January 31 to May 31.
The airline was initially warned any plane without replacement engines would be grounded.
It gives IndiGo and Indian aviation in general, much needed breathing space.
The affected P&W engines are on its fleet of Airbus A320neo planes and have been causing sporadic problems for the past couple of years
It includes a number of mid-air shutdowns.
It included four malfunctions in as many weeks.
"The revised timeline for complete removal of unmodified engines from the fleet is 31 May 2020. It is further laid down that no aircraft with unmodified engine in IndiGo fleet shall be allowed to fly after that," the regulator said.
IndiGo placed a multi billion dollar order to buy 300 Airbus 320neo family late last year but has declined to say which engine manufacture it will use.
The deadline extension is a welcome move for the airline and the travelling public.
IndiGo had little chance of meeting such a tight deadline given the number of engines that need replacing.
That would have led to dozens of planes grounded and hundreds of flights cancelled long term, which would have inevitably pushed up airfares.
IndiGo is the market leader with about 47% of the domestic market.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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