NEW DELHI: GoAir has stuck to Pratt & Whitney (PW) as its choice of engines for the second batch of 72 Airbus A320 Neos ordered by it three years back. In June 2011, the Wadia Group low cost carrier (LCC) had ordered 72 A320 Neos for which it chose 144 PW engines. Then in July 2016, it ordered an additional 72 Neos for which the selected engine manufacturer — PW or CFM — had not been announced till Wednesday afternoon.
In India, GoAir and IndiGo use PW-powered A320 Neos. The Pratt engines have been facing technical issues right from 2016 and currently IndiGo faces regulatory deadline to have only upgraded PW engines on all its Neos by January 31, 2019, to keep them flying beyond that. This summer, IndiGo had placed an order worth $20 billion for CFM’s LEAP-1A engines for 280 A320 and A321 Neo planes. GoAir, however, has stuck to its choice of PW. To be sure, India’s DGCA says that GoAir has faced lesser problems with the Pratt engines on its Neos than IndiGo.
The second tranche of 72 Airbus A320 Neo aircraft is expected to begin delivery in 2021. GoAir will be adding one aircraft a month on average for the next foreseeable future.
