Remove all unmodified engines by May 31: DGCA to IndiGo

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday ordered that all unmodified engines from IndiGo's A320neo fleet should be dispensed by May 31.

"DGCA was constrained to set up a tight timeline for change of these (A320neo) engines. DGCA believes that unmodified engines do contain an unsafe condition, which is prone to undesirable outcomes and therefore, need to be dispensed with," it said in a statement.

"European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has, for the time being, only mandated the removal of one of the unmodified engine and its replacement with a modified one on the complete fleet powered by P & W engines by March 2020 of Indigo," the DGCA said.

"We feel that it can be compressed further and should be achievable by May 2020. Therefore, the revised timeline for the complete removal of unmodified engines from the fleet is May 31, 2020. No aircraft with unmodified engine in Indigo fleet shall be allowed to fly after that," the civil aviation watchdog said.

"Post DGCA order dated November 1, 2019, all stake-holders i.e. the airline and the aircraft and engine manufacturer have made significant efforts towards completion of the task. They have jointly and severally submitted a complete action plan, which finds the change of engines for the entire fleet feasible by the end of June 2020," the DGCA said.

The watchdog further said that it "involves procurement of about 135 engines and the month-wise details have been worked out to achieve the goal".