Govt doing 'detailed review' of P&W engine issues: Sinha

The government is doing "detailed review" of the snags faced by Pratt & Whitney engines that power Airbus 320 neo planes operated by IndiGo and GoAir.
Against the backdrop of recent incidents of these engines facing technical snags that also resulted in some emergency landings, aviation regulator DGCA has asked P&W to address the issues within a "specified time".
Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha today said the priority is to ensure that airlines are operating as safely as possible.
"We are doing detailed reviews of the situation associated with P&W engine. DGCA has taken very thorough steps in that regard. Right now, we are very confident that steps taken are sufficient to address the problem," Sinha said.

Currently, there are 21 A320 neo planes of IndiGo and GoAir that are powered by P&W engines that have been frequently facing technical snags.
"We obviously want to make sure that our passengers and our airlines are operating as safely as possible. That is in fact the priority," the Minister told reporters here.

Last month, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had directed IndiGo and GoAir to carry out inspections of the engines once they complete 1,000 hours of flying, instead of 1,500 hours as recommended by P&W.
Besides, the watchdog has called for repeat inspections every 500 hours thereafter.

On March 9, in separate statements, P&W and Airbus said they are working closely with the Indian civil aviation authorities.
Last month, two A320 neo planes of budget carrier GoAir made emergency landings due to the engine issues. In January, an IndiGo flight aborted take off at the last minute at Mumbai airport after one of its engines developed a fault during taxiing.