AirAsia India plans more A320neo despite uncertainty

Despite speculation about its uncertain future and the ongoing strategic review at AirAsia Group, AirAsia India (I5, Bangalore Int’l) is planning to add a further three A320-200Ns by mid-2021, PTI news agency has reported. “We will be inducting our third Airbus A320-200neo in December, and we look forward to inducting our fourth and fifth A320neo by June 2021,” the airline’s spokesperson said. The Indian low-cost carrier took delivery of its first A320neo, VT-ATD (msn 10037), in October 2020. The aircraft is currently plying the 2x daily Bangalore Int’l-Guwahati route, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows. The second unit of the type, VT-ATE (msn 9525), was delivered to Delhi Int’l on November 27 but has yet to enter into revenue service. AirAsia India also operates thirty A320-200s, the ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows. According to recent speculation, AirAsia Group is unwilling to inject required fresh equity into AirAsia India. As such, the LCC’s future relies on an injection from its other shareholder, Tata Sons, which might increase its stake beyond the current 51%. In other Indian A320neo-related news, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is nearing the full recertification of Pratt & Whitney PW1127G-JM engines, the Business Standard has reported. In 2019, the Indian regulator suspended the engine type’s Extended Diversion Time Operations certification following a series of technical malfunctions and in-flight shutdowns, thus forcing the two Indian operators of the engines, IndiGo Airlines (6E, Delhi Int’l) and GoAir (G8, Mumbai Int’l), to remain within a 60-minute flight radius of the nearest alternative airport at all times. This effectively stopped the two LCCs from deploying the A320neo on routes to South-East Asia or the Gulf. At the same time, the regulator mandated engine blade replacements on all PW engines used by IndiGo Airlines and GoAir. The DGCA reportedly said that it would be willing to lift the suspension of the EDTO certificate once IndiGo Airways performs an appropriate test flight with inspectors onboard. IndiGo Airlines, the world’s largest customer for the A320neo family, has thus far taken delivery of 116 A320neo and twenty-five A321-200neo powered by PW engines. However, prompted by the technical issues with the engines, it signed a contract with CFM International for the vast majority of its 588-strong A320neo family backlog. The airline took delivery of its first LEAP1A-powered A320neo, VT-ISO (msn 9561), in September 2020. GoAir currently operates forty-six A320neo and has a further 98 units on firm order from Airbus. All of these are and will be powered by PW engines. In turn, AirAsia India and Air India operate exclusively CFM-powered A320neo aircraft.