NEW DELHI: In a breather to IndiGo, the aviation regulator has extended the January 31, 2020 deadline to modify Pratt & Whitney engines on all of its Airbus A320/321 Neos by four months to May 31. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has stressed that no IndiGo Neo will be allowed to fly after that if it still has an unmodified PW engine.
“ … the process of placement of at least one modified engine on the entire fleet has been accomplished by IndiGo, well before the timeline of March 31, 2020, given by EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) airworthiness directive of December 16, 2019. About 70% of the total Neo engines of IndiGo fleet is likely to be modified by January 31, 2020. Procurement of modified engines was adversely impacted due to Christmas and New Year holidays,” a senior DGCA official said.
IndiGo and PW jointly submitted an action plan to DGCA, which said the replacement of 135 engines will be accomplished in 14 months from November 2019 to December 2020. “However, DGCA feels that it can be compressed and be achievable by May 2020.
