After Boeing 737 Max, DGCA now issues advisory for snag-prone Pratt engines of Airbus A320 Neo

NEW DELHI: IndiGo and GoAir, the two airlines in India using Pratt & Whitney (PW) engines on their Airbus A320 Neos, have been asked to mandatorily carry out come repairs on these snag-prone engines. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday told these airlines to do so within a fixed time given the unending snags in PW engines for the A320 New engine option (Neos) aircraft.

“Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued two Airworthiness Directives (ADs) No. 2018-21-10 and 2018-22-02 on Wednesday. The effective date of both the ADs is December 12, 2018,” said a senior DGCA official.

“AD 2018-21-10 requires replacement of certain parts on PW 1100 engines from Sl. No. 450 to 614 installed on A320Neo aircraft. This is to address failure of kinfe edge seal issue. Both Indigo and Go Air are compliant on same. AD 2018-22-02 requires replacement of High Pressure Compressor (HPC) front hub due corrosion. As per AD, action has to be taken within 120 days after effective date or before exceeding 6,180 cycles since new or within five years since the ship date as indicated the AD, whichever occurs first,” he added.

“Some of the engines installed on aircraft operated by Indian operators are affected by AD 2018-22-02.(Indigo 13 engines, GoAir 2 engines). Indian operators have sufficient time to become compliant. We have declared the ADs ‘mandatory’ and directed the Indian operators to comply within the period as indicated in the ADs,” the official said.

The DGCA directive for the A320 Neos having PW engines comes a day after the Indian regulator alerted operators of Boeing 737 Max — Jet Airways and SpiceJet — about a potential malfunction which could lead to “excessive nose-down attitude, significant altitude loss, and possible impact with terrain”. US aviation regulator FAA, and Boeing had issued a bulletin over last two days after analysing the crash of Lion Air’s brand new B737 Max on October 29 soon after take off from Jakarta, killing all the 189 people on board.