Budget carrier IndiGo has confirmed that it has grounded five A320 Neo aircraft proactively due to problems with their engines. According to a report on CNBC, the airline said that it is waiting for spare engines from Pratt and Whitney, the manufacturer. The company further clarified that all the aircraft are expected to be back in action by the second half of August this year.

The airline replaced P & W engines for as many as 69 times between 2016 and March 2018 after it witnessed a number of cases of engine shutdown, leading to flight cancellations. In March this year, Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had grounded many IndiGo and Go Air aircraft for faulty engines. The grounding was after a Lucknow-bound IndiGo flight returned 40 minutes after departing from Ahmedabad airport due to single engine failure. The flight was equipped with a pair of P&W engines, one out of which stopped functioning. Reportedly, citing safety of aircraft operations, the Director of the DGCA, in the March 12 order, said that A320Neos fitted with PW1100 engines beyond ESN 450 have been grounded with immediate effect.

On Tuesday, in a Srinagar-bound flight, panic struck, as a passenger shouted that the plane has been hijacked. Luckily the plane landed safely, and it was a hoax call.

 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 25, 2018 03:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).