GTF Engine Pains Subside in IndiGo A320neos
Neelam Mathews Oct 24, 2017 AIN (US) Indian low-fare airline IndiGo, the first A320neo operator in Asia, has reduced its aircraft on ground (AOG) to two machines following operational disruptions involving the airplanes’ Pratt & Whitney PW11000G geared turbofans since early last year. In India, the number of airframes awaiting spare engines has fallen from 15 to three—two with IndiGo and one with GoAir. With 430 A320neos on order, IndiGo has yet to make a decision on the engine choice for a second tranche of 280 airplanes. However, with increases in fuel prices and the competitive environment in India, IndiGo might choose to operate the Pratt-powered airplanes for a longer period than its usual limit of six years, said IndiGo president Aditya Ghosh during a July conference call to discuss quarterly earnings. Ghosh cited a 15-percent lower fuel burn and “a much lower risk of technological obsolescence” in the PW1100G as factors in his d...