India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation is undertaking extensive examinations of the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G geared turbofan engines on Airbus A320neos operated by GoAir and IndiGo, following the emergence of new issues with the engine.
Sources at GoAir have confirmed to FlightGlobal that its fleet of five A320neos are under extra scrutiny from the regulator following an inflight engine shutdown of one of the aircraft on 8 February, which forced the crew on a Delhi-Bengaluru flight to return to the Indian capital.
The engines are being subject to borescope examinations by the DGCA, while the airline is checking the engine's fan blades each night.
Some of the A320neos have also displayed “3 bearing warning” indication on the electronic centralised aircraft monitor (ECAM), which has has been traced back to a problem with the bearing component manufacturer.
"There is a fear now that these specific kinds of failures will have an impact on operations,” says the source.
Local media reports indicate that 16 A320neos operated by IndiGo are also undergoing examinations. The aircraft under inspection have flown for at least 1,000 hours.
IndiGo did not comment when approached by FlightGlobal.
In a statement to FlightGlobal, P&W says that it is supporting GoAir and IndiGo “to assess the situation and minimise any disruption”. However, the engine maker adds that the issues “are still under review so it would be premature to speculate on the cause(s)”.
"We are working closely with our customers and our suppliers in order to address and resolve these issues quickly," it adds.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
