Mixing planned removal of PW engines with its failure is evil, like mixing chalk and cheese: DGCA

Aviation regulator DGCA on Friday cautioned against mixing up the planned removal of Pratt and Whitney (PW) engines for maintenance with incidents of failure of the engines, and said merging the two to create panic is "evil and must be eschewed".

It said combining the two separate issues is like "mixing chalk and cheese".

The warning came in response to media stories that mixed up the planned removal of PW engines from A320neo planes with incidents of failure of the engines.

PW engine-powered A320neo planes of GoAir and IndiGo have been facing glitches both mid-air and on-ground since their induction in 2016. This has led to grounding of some of these planes.

At present, IndiGo and GoAir have 92 and 35 A320neo aircraft powered by PW engines in India. A total of 436 such aircraft are operating globally.

The aviation regulator said it is keeping a tab on the issues and resolutions related to PW engines in Airbus A320neo planes and it shall act when warranted.

In a statement on Twitter, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said, "We have only one 'agenda' and that is 'safety'. We reiterate our 'assurance'. We are keeping a close watch and shall act when warranted. We also submit that we are responsible and accountable to 'risk assessment' and are open to all scrutiny and action."