IndiGo’s flight expansion plans face headwinds as more than 70 aircraft are grounded due to Pratt & Whitney engine problems. The grounding has an impact on the airline industry and ticket prices. Is there a solution? Mint Explained.
Why were the planes grounded?
The key reason was a problem with the combustion chamber of Pratt & Whitney’s geared turbofan (GTF) engines. These problems were discovered in 2020 and affected airlines around the world. The hot climate and dust in the atmosphere caused problems for the engines. Therefore, airlines in India and West Asia were more affected. The problem shortened the life cycle of the engine – each engine can run for a certain number of hours, but Pratt & Whitney’s engines did not meet this benchmark. Under normal circumstances, the engines would be replaced quickly. But after the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, supply chain problems affected deliveries.
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What is the current situation of IndiGo?
IndiGo has grounded more than 70 aircraft due to engine failures. Currently, this number has stabilized for a while, which indicates that the situation may not worsen. The airline still reports 5-15 engine failures per month. Currently, Pratt & Whitney has enough engines available to the airline to be able to replace the failed ones. Apart from engine problems, IndiGo has the lowest grounding record in the world. The airline practices “predictive” maintenance. Apart from technical resistance, aircraft may also be grounded due to bird strikes and airport challenges.
When does the grounding peak and stabilize?
The airline’s grounding peaked in the first quarter of this year and has not increased in the past four months. The airline believes the number of groundings will not exceed 70 and will continue to expand flights as new aircraft join its fleet. IndiGo also leases aircraft on short-term and medium-term leases.
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When will the aircraft be redeployed?
Airlines may not be able to fly these aircraft for the next six months. However, IndiGo is hoping to find a way out as engine manufacturers are working on India-specific solutions to ensure engine failure rates are kept to a minimum. One solution could be improved combustion chamber coatings, which can help reduce heating issues within the combustion chamber. There is also optimism as the new engines being supplied by Pratt & Whitney are reportedly performing better in terms of service life.
Does this have an impact on Air India?
The largest carrier, IndiGo, accounted for 62.4% of the passengers in August. Due to its large size, any move by IndiGo will affect the market. While the grounding had a slight impact on its ability to add flights, it overcame this by adding older aircraft on short- and medium-term leases and bringing in scheduled deliveries from its order book of about 950 aircraft. The return of stranded aircraft will help reduce fares, which are currently around 30% higher compared to the same period last year.
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