IndiGo Expects Grounding of 35 Aircraft in Q4 Due to P&W Engine Issue
IndiGo, the largest airline in India, has announced that it anticipates at least 35 planes to be grounded in the March quarter of next year due to a powder metal issue with the Pratt & Whitney engines. Currently, the airline already has nearly 40 aircraft on the ground as a result of other problems with the P&W engines.
The grounding of such a significant number of planes will result in capacity issues for the carrier, which had a fleet of 334 planes as of September. IndiGo is taking various measures to address the situation, but the anticipated groundings will have a substantial impact in the first quarter of 2024.
In a statement, IndiGo stated, “We have recently received additional information on the powder metal issue from Pratt & Whitney and based on our preliminary assessment of this, we anticipate Aircraft on Ground (AOG) in the range of mid-thirties in the fourth quarter (Jan-Mar 2024) due to accelerated engine removals. These groundings will be incremental to the current AOGs.”
The powder metal issue has affected P&W’s new generation GTF aircraft engine globally, leading to the removal of a large number of engines for accelerated inspections and shop visits between 2023 and 2026. IndiGo revealed that two-thirds of these engine removals are planned for 2023 and early 2024.
IndiGo will continue to work with P&W to gather more information and address the situation. The airline is also implementing mitigation measures to minimize the impact of these groundings on its capacity in the fourth quarter and beyond.
During the announcement of its September quarter results, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers stated that the company has taken a range of measures to fulfill its capacity guidance for the fiscal year. These measures include taking planes on wet lease, retaining CEO aircraft, and leasing additional CEO planes from the secondary market.
It remains to be seen how IndiGo will navigate these challenges and ensure smooth operations amidst the grounding of a large number of aircraft.
