IndiGo To Ground Around Three Dozen Aircraft Amid P&W Engine Issues

IndiGo’s parent company, InterGlobe Aviation Ltd., expects aircraft in the mid-thirties range to be grounded in the fourth quarter due to accelerated engine removals.

The airline recently received information on the powder metal issue from Pratt & Whitney and anticipates Aircraft on Ground in the range of mid-thirties in Q4 due to accelerated engine removals, it said in its exchange filing.

These groundings will be incremental to the current AoGs, the airline said.

Last week, the country's largest airline said there would be more grounding of aircraft due to the Pratt & Whitney engine issues and that it was taking a range of mitigating measures.

Against the backdrop of powder metal issues, the airline said that a large number of incremental engines are being removed for shop visits between 2023 and 2026, and a majority of incremental engine removals are planned for 2023 and early 2024.

However, the company reconfirmed the earlier capacity guidance for the third quarter as well as for FY24. It also remained confident in meeting its long-term capacity guidance.

The airline will work with Pratt & Whitney in addressing the situation and implementing mitigation measures to minimise the impact of these AoGs, it said. 

This comes after the engine manufacturer highlighted the impact of the powder metal issue that has affected its new generation GTF aircraft engine.

Last September, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said Pratt & Whitney will issue a service bulletin regarding the second phase of recall of its engines in two months. Most of the engine removals are expected in the first quarter of 2024, the aviation regulator said.