Faulty engines cast shadow on India's booming aviation market

NEW DELHI: On Saturday, a GoAir flight from Bengaluru to Pune — with 169 passengers aboard — suffered from a mid-air engine failure and used to be compelled to go back back for emergency landing.

This is rarely the primary such case in India.

The aviation sector in India is growing abruptly. The collection of passenger planes in India — the quickest growing market — is expected to nearly double from 600 to 1,100 in ten years. But the engine using this growth has a major issue.

A large part of India's new aircraft orders (from Boeing and Airbus) constitute the narrow-body, twin-engine, single-aisle aircraft most popular by India's low-cost airlines. Last yr India ordered more such planes than China.

This may be a phase this is using aerospace sector large Airbus's growth. Its A320 neos dominate the Indian market, serving Indigo and GoAir, amongst others. More than part of A320 neos international run on engines supplied by a single company - Pratt & Whitney (P&W).


But, P&W is struggling to cope with the rapid building up in orders. In March this yr, Indigo and GoAir had to cancel 65 flights after DGCA, the aviation regulator, ordered to prevent flying planes with P&W engines. Such measures have been taken in Europe too. Pratt & Whitney said the problem, which it blamed on an element failure, has been mounted.


But Pratt & Whitney engines now have a brand new downside, that of, excessive vibration. The company has yet to identify the motive, and is assessing if it might be due to a prior design issue.


In the Bangalore-Pune GoAir flight, the pilot used to be first warned of the engine vibration, then its oil detection chip alarm went off (suggesting impending engine failure), and sooner or later an inflight shutdown (IFSD) of the engine. P&W, alternatively, has rejected it is an IFSD.


As an impact, the Airbus inventory has fallen by greater than 2.5 per cent since the most recent engine hassle.
Faulty engines cast shadow on India's booming aviation market Faulty engines cast shadow on India's booming aviation market Reviewed by Kailash on September 03, 2018 Rating: 5
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