New Delhi: IndiGo operator InterGlobe Aviation said on Wednesday it is working with Pratt & Whitney to assess any potential impact on its fleet, after a warning from the U.S. engine maker spooked global airlines.
Pratt’s owner Raytheon said on Tuesday that a “rare condition” in powdered metal meant 1,200 of more than 3,000 engines, built for the twin-engined Airbus A320neo between 2015 and 2021, have to be removed from planes and inspected for micro cracks that would point to fatigue.
The news comes a month after Indian budget carrier IndiGo placed a record order for 500 narrowbody jets from Airbus. The airline said at the Paris Airshow it had not yet decided which engine supplier to use for this order.
It switched supplier from Pratt to GE-Safran venture CFM International about four years ago following issues with engine durability.
IndiGo still has almost 480 jets left in the Airbus pipeline from previous orders.
“We are working closely with P&W to assess and minimise any potential impact to our fleet,” InterGlobe said in a statement on Wednesday.
Pratt is already facing turbulence in India. IndiGo’s smaller rival Go First, which plunged into financial crisis this year, has blamed “faulty” Pratt engines for the grounding of about half its 54 Airbus A320neos. Pratt has said the claims are without merit.
Shares in InterGlobe Aviation, whose IndiGo airline operates the Airbus A321neo, A320neo and ceo, were down 1.7%.
(Reporting by Tanvi Mehta and Aditi Shah; Editing by Edmund Klamann and Emma Rumney)
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