Airbus A320neo engine woes: eight IndiGo and three GoAir Airbus A320neo aircraft grounded until June

Indian low-cost carriers IndiGo and GoAir today cancelled 65 flights after the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) grounded 11 Airbus A320neo aircraft over engine woes. Due to a recurring engine malfunction on the Pratt & Whitney engines, 8 IndiGo and 3 GoAir Airbus A320neo aircraft will be grounded until June (source: Business Standard). The problem stems from a component in the engine that can show early signs of wear and is located in an area that must withstand high pressure.

The DGCA took the decision after an IndiGo flight bound for Lucknow returned to Ahmedabad within 40 minutes of being airborne due to an engine failure midair on Monday. Airbus A320Neos fitted with PW1100 engines beyond ESN 450 have been grounded with immediate effect.

The flights that have been cancelled are from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Patna, Srinagar, Bhubaneswar, Amritsar, Srinagar and Guwahati. Passengers that are affected by the cancellations will be rebooked at no additional cost or they can have a refund without any cancellation charges.

IndiGo, India’s largest airline by passenger numbers is Airbus’ biggest A320neo customer having ordered a total of 430 aircraft placed in 2011 and 2015.