Pratt & Whitney (PW), the aerospace manufacturer, has announced plans for significant investments in India, including the potential establishment of a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility. The move comes in response to ongoing engine issues and pressure from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India's aviation regulatory body.
Ashmita Sethi, PW's President and Country Head in India, revealed these plans amid growing concerns over the reliability of PW's new generation engines for Airbus A320neo planes. These aircraft are used by airlines such as IndiGo and the now-defunct GoAir. Persistent problems with these engines have been reported over the past five to six years, primarily due to "powder metal contamination". This issue has caused engine component cracking and led to a significant number of grounded aircraft.
Currently, IndiGo has approximately 50 planes grounded awaiting replacement engines, and the airline anticipates more will join them next year. The liquidation of GoAir was partly attributed to these engine troubles.
To address this issue, PW is planning "accelerated removals" for checks on 600 to 700 engines between 2023 and 2026. This action is expected to mitigate the problem but could potentially lead to an increase in grounded aircraft during this period.
The DGCA is pressing PW to show "visible improvement" in response to these persistent issues. The proposed MRO facility is seen as a critical part of this improvement plan, providing local resources for engine maintenance and repair. This step is expected to expedite the process of getting grounded planes back into service and alleviate some of the capacity crunch that threatens to escalate fares.
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