India’s GoAir still not done with engine replacements

GoAir (G8, Mumbai Int’l) has more than a dozen engines left on its A320-200Ns that need to be replaced and has been given until the end of November to do so by the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Hindustan Times has reported. According to sources, the low-cost carrier had around 20 engines that had to be replaced as of September 13. The airline is barred from operating any aircraft without the upgraded third stage of the low-pressure turbines on both of the Pratt & Whitney PW1127G-JM engines. Facing repeated malfunctions of the LPTs, the DGCA ordered both Indian operators of the engine type, GoAir and IndiGo Airlines (6E, Delhi Int’l), to upgrade all units by the end of January 2020. Due to the number of affected engines, the authorities extended the deadline to May 31 and then, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, to the end of August. Indigo Airlines said it finished the upgrades in late August 2020. According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, GoAir operates forty-four A320-200Ns equipped with PW1127G-JM engines, as well as twelve A320-200s powered by CFM International CFM56-5B4/Ps. While Indigo Airlines, disappointed with the problems with Pratt & Whitney engines, decided to equip its 601 forthcoming A320-200neo and A321-200N with CFM International LEAP engines, GoAir has remained loyal to Pratt & Whitney and will take the remaining ninety-eight A320-200Ns it has on order from Airbus with PW1127G-JM powerplants.