Not only Indigo but SpiceJet, Jet Airways, Air India too report snag, grounding

Market leader IndiGo, grappling since last June with problems in its fleet of Airbus A320neos that are powered by Pratt & Whitney engines, now has as many as 12 of these planes on the ground.

“An Airbus A320 (non-neo) aircraft, VT-INZ, operating Cochin-Mumbai and another Airbus  A320 (non-neo) aircraft, VT-IFU, operating Mumbai-Goa had technical snag detected during departure. Both these aircraft were immediately withdrawn for rectification. The issues were rectified and the aircraft are back in operation,” IndiGo said in a statement.

“Out of 2,000 plus flights in past 48 hours, the airline detected five technical snags and out of these only one aircraft has been grounded. Rest four aircraft are back in operation,” it added.



A Jet Airways aircraft, flying between Mumbai and Jaipur, was grounded after a wheel of the Boeing 737 was damaged upon landing, reported the Economic Times citing unnamed industry sources. A Mumbai-Doha flight operated by the airline, an Airbus 330, had to return to the bay before take-off due to vibration in one of the engines. The flight departed over two-and-half hours late, after the problem was resolved.

A Jet Airways spokesperson said the grounding of the Mumbai-Jaipur flight and the delay of the Mumbai-Doha flight were necessitated by “technical” reasons.

A Patna-Hyderabad-Chennai flight of SpiceJet, also a Boeing 737, was grounded in Hyderabad due to a problem with its wheel and brake, said sources. “There was no damage of any kind to either the aircraft, engine, wheel or brake of the aircraft. There was a small issue with the wheel, which was replaced and the aircraft returned to operation for its next rotation,” SpiceJet said in a response.
IndiGo and GoAir are the two airlines hit the most by the regulator-ordered grounding of Airbus 320neos with the new series engine.

Meanwhile, airlines reported over 24,700 technical snags last year, with Jet Airways alone accounting for 9,689 of them, reported the PTI last week quoting official data.

20/03/18 ET Now

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