New Delhi: The civil aviation regulator will issue an advanced safety management protocol in one week for airlines operating Airbus A320neo aircraft fitted with the troubled Pratt & Whitney engines, said the civil aviation secretary on Tuesday. Low-cost airlines IndiGo, owned by InterGlobe Aviation, and GoAir operate these aircraft in India. Ministry officials and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) met with executives from IndiGo, GoAir, aircraft maker Airbus and engine maker Pratt & Whitney to discuss the ongoing issues with the engines that have led to several planes being grounded in recent months. DGCA will consult the US aviation safety regulator FAA or Federal Aviation Administration and will also seek inputs from airlines and engine maker, before releasing the norms next week, most likely on Monday.
Authorities have identified five issues broadly with engines out of which Pratt & Whitney has taken corrective action on four of them, RN Choubey said, adding Pratt is working on resolving the fifth issue related to the gear box. Measures such as grounding of existing planes and halting the induction of new A320neo aircraft are not needed as of now, Choubey added.
