Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu on Friday directed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to submit a report on grounding of A320 Neos. He said security of the passengers is of paramount importance and should not be compromised at any cost.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has submitted a report which says at present, there are 60 A320 Neos with Pratt and Whitney (P&W) engines (41 with Indigo and 19 with Go Air). As on date, seven with IndiGo and two with Go Air are on ground. These groundings are due to combustor distress found during routine scheduled boroscope inspection.
The DGCA also informed the minister that manufacturer has taken measures to address significant problems of Engines related to combustion chambers distress and No 3 bearing issues by replacing Block B combustion chambers with Block C and providing dry face bearing seals. These measures have significantly reduced the engine problems.
Further, DGCA introduced additional measures for inspection of the combustion chamber at reduced interval compared to manufacturer guidelines for boroscopic inspection of combustion chambers and removing engines as a preventive measure. These engines are being continuously monitored and safety issues are addressed adequately. DGCA and airlines remain in touch with the manufacturer on the issue.
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