Gurgaon, India - Indian low-cost carrier IndiGo instructed its pilots not to push the A320neo engines full-throttle after DGCA said the practice may have contributed to mid-air engine failures.
IndiGo’s A320neos have suffered 13 engine shutdowns this year. India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) reported last week that full-thrust climbs could force the engines to the limits and presumably contributed to the mid-flight shutdowns.
IndiGo's A320neos are powerede by Pratt & Whitney's PW1100G turbines.
In contrast the DGCA's conclusion, the engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney said there was no proved link between climbing procedure and engine incidents.
IndiGo now told its A320neo pilots to apply no more than 93% thrust on the aircraft's engines until they reach 25,000 feet.
The change had hardly any difference in day to day operations, beyond taking two to three minutes longer for aircraft to reach optimum flight level due to lower thrust settings. The difference in fuel consumption is marginal,
An airline spokeswoman said.
IndiGo, is the only one to encounter frequent failures this year among all A320neo operators.
The long-standing issue hampered Indigo's route network expansion plans and prevented airline to launch new routes this year such as Istanbul and London.
The DGCA ordered IndiGo to ground one A320neo that hasn’t had its engines fixed when a new plane joins IndiGo’s fleet.
IndiGo is the largest Airbus A320neo customer in the world. The Indian operator has 730 A320neo Family jets on order waiting to join the Indian budget carrier's fleet over time.