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Idle Power

INDIAN LCC INDIGO CONTINUES ITS STRUGGLE
WITH P&W GTF ENGINES

Atul Chandra

Indian Low Cost Carrier (LCC) IndiGo continues its domination of an update on the status of PW1100 engines. As
India’s aviation market with a close to 50 per cent market share per the aviation regulator, a total of 127 A320
of the domestic airline market. The airline continues to expand at neo powered by PW1100 engines were opera-
a rapid pace and as of June 2019, IndiGo had a fleet of 129 A320 tional in India (as of September). While IndiGo
ceo, 83 A320 neo, 5 A321 neo and 18 ATRs. inducted its first PW1100G-JM powered A320
neo in March 2016, Go Air did so in May 2016.
While IndiGo’s domination of the Indian market will likely remain As of September, IndiGo and Go Air had 92 and
unchallenged for quite some time, the LCC has been buffeted by 35 A320neo respectively and together these
problems related to its Pratt & Whitney PW1000G geared turbofan aircraft contribute approximately 40 per cent
(GTF) engines. The continued troubles were serious enough for of the domestic seat capacity in India. Globally
IndiGo to place an order with CFM International for the LEAP-1A in excess of 450 A320neo are thought to be
engines as powerplants for 280 Airbus A320neo and A321neo in service in today.
jetliners that it has on order. IndiGo will take delivery of its first THE DGCA IN ITS STATEMENT
LEAP1A powered A320neo in 2020.
RELEASED ON 28 AUGUST, STATES
For an airline that has long prided itself on a common aircraft THAT SIGNIFICANT TECHNICAL
and engine fleet, the decision to operate A320neos with Pratt & ISSUES HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCED
Whitney and CFM International engines, could not have been an ON A320NEO AIRCRAFT FITTED
easy one. IndiGo has a large number of PW1100G-JM engines and
will continue to take deliveries of A320neos with these engines. WITH PW1100G ENGINES
“So, no, we are not going back and sort of replacing the Pratt with WORLDWIDE AND THESE INCLUDE:
the CFM. These are going to be two different pools of engines. To COMBUSTION CHAMBER DISTRESS-
the issue of compatibility or commonality if you will, it is always BLOCK B & BLOCK C; BEARING
better to have one than two, of course. But beyond a certain mass,
the differences become very minor. You do have a sort of diminish- PRE-MOD & POST-MOD FAILURES;
ing return. So, both pools are large enough; so we do not think that N2 TRANSIENT VIBRATION;
commonality is an issue,” IndiGo CEO Ronojoy Dutta said during a LOW PRESSURE TURBINE (LPT)
Financial Results Conference Call in July. FAILURE; HPC (HIGH PRESSURE

While much has been reported on the trials and tribulations of COMPRESSOR) REAR KNIFE EDGE
Indian carriers with GTF engines. The Directorate General of Civil SEAL FAILURES AND GEAR BOX
Aviation (DGCA), India’s national aviation authority recently provided FAILURES.

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