Mid-air engine woes mar Airbus A320 Neo flights

More than 110 Airbus A320 Neos being operated by IndiGo, India’s largest Low Cost Carrier (LCC), and GoAir are facing the heat over repetitive mid-air engine shut down problems.

The recent such incident was on Wednesday when an IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Singapore had to be diverted to Nagpur just minutes after it took off due to an oil leak from the engine.

Even in the last week of December 2019, two GoAir flights had to make emergency landing after one of its engine failed mid-air.

On 18 December 2019, another Airbus A320 Neo operated by IndiGo had to return to Bagdogra airport from where it took off for Kolkata as the flight developed a mid-air engine problem and could not fly further.

Following these repetitive incidents of mid-air engine problems by the Airbus A320 Neo, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has set a deadline of 31 January to modify their snag-proven engines as they jeopardise the lives of hundreds of passengers taking these flights.

The Airbus A320 Neos are fitted with American Manufactured Pratt and Whitney (PW) engines and it is this engine which is repetitively developing snags, forcing flights to make emergency landing.

The problems being faced by the PW engines are either complete stalling of the engine mid-air, loud sound or rattling sound emanating from the engine soon after take-off.

The engine manufacturer Pratt and Whitney has, however, taken note of this problem and are replacing the engines of the already delivered aircraft. IndiGo, which is one of the world’s largest buyers of Airbus’ A320 Neo, has said that they are in talks with both Airbus as well as Pratt and Whitney.

IndiGo, which operates about 100 odd Airbus A320 Neos, has also said that 45% of its fleet with PW engines has been fitted with the modified engines and that the airlines will be able to meet the 31 January deadline set by the aviation watchdog DGCA.